That's the Way it Is
by Hermione Eveningfall
Summary: This story follows the end of the Curse of the Black Pearl. Will and Elizabeth are engaged and preparing to marry on their wedding day, an unsuspecting visitor arrives.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: My first attempt at a POTC sneezefic…whoooo boy…borrows  
Elizabeth's fan  
Characters: Jack, Will, Elizabeth  
Summary: Read to find out!  
Rating: PG-PG-13 (for some language)  
Disclaimer: Like all of my stories I am not seeking to make any money  
off of this. This is being written for my pure enjoyment and that is  
all. And to entertain all of you as well! G  
Feedback: Yes please! Detailed feedback preferably…  
Note: Contains spoilers from the movie in full!

Chapter 1

Elizabeth Swann sighed as she sat by her bedroom window,  
looking out at the calm ocean. A cool but gentle breeze brushed over  
her nightgown-clad body and ruffled the curtains. It was growing  
dark, and the first stars were appearing in the sky, sparkling like  
tiny diamonds on deep blue velvet. She could not ever remember  
feeling this content before, especially after the events of the past  
weeks, which seemed like some crazy dream. "Yo ho, yo ho…" she softly  
began to sing as she stood, running her fingers through her light  
brown hair, closing her deep brown eyes. "A pirates' life for me…"  
Elizabeth absentmindedly reached towards her neck, finding it once  
again bare.. Only a few days before, a golden medallion had hung  
there. A skull and crossbones engraved in the center, Aztec gold. Now  
it was gone. And good riddance,' Elizabeth thought with a slight  
scowl. That thing had caused quite a lot of trouble.

Elizabeth gave a slight shudder as she lowered her hand  
again, and sighed. Then she walked over towards her four poster bed,  
climbing onto it, feeling rather exhausted. Elizabeth was just about  
to slide beneath the covers when she heard a few knocks on her  
door. "Who is it?" She called, propping her body up with her arms.

"It's me, might I come in?"

Will. Elizabeth felt her lips stretch into a big smile as she  
slid back to the floor and hurried to let her fiencee inside. He  
stood in his night clothes, his shoulder-length dark hair pulled back  
into a ponytail. "Will, you should not be here…you're not technically  
supposed to sleep with me until after we're married…" Elizabeth  
whispered as she allowed him to come inside and shut the door after  
him.

"I know I shouldn't…" Will whispered, coming over to wrap his  
arms around Elizabeth's waist, leaning his forehead against her. "I  
just could not stay away."

Elizabeth kissed him tenderly on the lips. "I am glad Father  
allowed you to spend the night here," she whispered back, pulling him  
over to the bed so the two of them could lie down. Will looked  
positively exhausted from the past days' events, which did not  
surprise Elizabeth at all. After all,' she thought to herself as she  
snuggled against Will's chest, So much has happened. Will risked his  
life to save me from a bunch of bloody pirates. Sailing through a  
thunderstorm, going down into a great cave where I was being held  
captive, only to find that he was the one the pirates really wanted…'  
It had been a narrow escape for the both of them and Jack, who had  
been a shockingly great help in the matter. When they had at last  
reached Port Royal again, the Commador attempted to hang Jack for all  
of the crimes he had committed, but Will had successfully saved him.  
Jack was now captain of the Black Pearl, a great dream of his that  
came true at last. Now we're safe again for a time,' Elizabeth  
thought to herself with a smile.

"Do you think he'll come back for you?" Elizabeth finally  
spoke up after a few moments of silence. Will lowered his chin to his  
chest so that he could look at her.

"Who?"

"You know…" Elizabeth sat up again.

"Jack?" Will asked curiously. "I suppose he might…" Will  
grinned. "We'll certainly know when he does." He winked at her.

Elizabeth grinned. "You know what I would like to do for our  
honeymoon?" She ordered Will to turn over, so that he was lying on  
his stomach, so that she could massage his shoulders. He closed his  
eyes, grunting and grimacing as she hit a knot in his left shoulder.

"What's…OW!" Will gasped as she hit yet another tender spot.

"I'm sorry…but you're tense, Love…" Elizabeth chuckled,  
kissing his neck.

"I wonder why…oh right there…" He held his breath as she  
continued pressing down the center of his back.

"I'd like to go sailing with you, Jack and his crew…not far…  
just a few miles off the coast of Port Royal…"

Will was quiet again. After everything that had occurred, she  
still wanted to live a pirate's life. He cleared his throat, turning  
over on his side, and pulling her close. She was so beautiful…why had  
he waited so long for this? Because you were chicken, a tiny voice  
spoke inside of his head. It's about time you bloody proposed!  
Elizabeth did not even care that he was a pirate, and in this town,  
that kind of attitude was rare. Especially as the town was recently  
ransacked and pillaged by the crew of the Black Pearl…

"Elizabeth…are you certain that would be wise? Is it not bad  
enough that you are marrying a pirate?" Will chuckled.

Elizabeth giggled and crawled down so that she was sitting by  
his feet, and she began to massage those. Normally women did not do  
this sort of thing before they were wed, but Will was different. They  
had known each other since childhood, and spent all the time in the  
world together. Elizabeth, in fact, used to sneak out of her window  
and rush to the blacksmith shop to visit him, and would spend nights  
there, coming back early in the morning before anyone else woke up.  
It was this relationship that made them so comfortable with each  
other, even though they did not show as much affection in public  
places. Will suddenly let out a laugh, and Elizabeth saw that his  
eyes were sparkling. "You're ticklish there, eh?" Elizabeth teased,  
touching one of his toes. "Oh that's funny!"

He quickly slid his feet away from her, tucking them beneath  
him. "No…no you don't," he warned, still laughing.

"So what do you say about our honeymoon?" she asked after she  
agreed not to tickle him anymore. Will frowned.

"Naturally I'll have to ask your father if he would allow it…"

"He would, if it was what I wanted, Will!" Elizabeth begged. "Oh  
please, please, please, PLEASE!" She tugged on his robe, looking  
quite a bit like the little girl Will had once known.

"Even if your father did allow it, there would be no way of  
contacting Jack. He might be gone for years…"

Elizabeth scowled…Will was right about that. He was certainly miles  
away by now, and had a "date with the gallows" as Commador  
Norrington had told the Governor. Jack had a one day's head start,  
and she had a hard time believing the man would be back anytime soon.  
Still, it never hurt to dream. Elizabeth lay so that her head was at  
Will's feet, and carefully began to rub them so that she would not  
tickle him. After ten minutes or so had gone by, she heard a soft  
snoring and lifted her head. Will had fallen sound asleep, his mouth  
only slightly open. She fought down a giggle as she crawled up  
towards the pillows, and tapped him. "Will…" she called quietly, but  
he did not move. "Will?" she said again as she shook him. When he  
still did not move, she shook her head with a roll of her eyes. She  
certainly was not going to be able to make him go back to his room  
now, not when he looked so comfortable. So she hopped out of bed and  
hurried over to her closet, where she kept an extra throw blanket to  
put over him. Once she was certain he was situated comfortably, she  
crawled under the covers, and sung herself to sleep with an old  
lullabye her father had taught her:

"She said take me to another life  
Take me for a pirate's wife  
Take me where the wind blows  
Take me where the red wine flows  
Take me to the danger  
Take me to the life of crime  
Take me to the stars  
Take me to the moon while we still have time…"

A/N: This song is property of the band "Sting"…I'm not sure if they  
made it up themselves are what, but it was fitting for the story. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you very much to my beta-reader, Tarotgal! gives great  
big hugs

Elizabeth awoke the following morning with a start. At first  
she had difficulty figuring out where she was, as it had been quite  
some time since she had slept in her own bed. She gazed frantically  
around the room, until she heard her father's loud but pleasant  
voice. "Elizabeth…are you still asleep? It's after ten, dearest…"

Elizabeth gasped when she noticed Will still lying next to  
her, still sound asleep on his back. Oh dear,' she thought, hoping  
her father would not come in. It frightened her to imagine the  
horrified expression on his face when he saw Will. Panicking, she  
prodded him awake.

"What?" Will mumbled, his eyes only opening half way. He did  
not want to get up…not just yet. So, to show how he felt, he turned  
over onto his side that faced away from her, absentmindedly kicking  
his throw blanket towards the end of the bed.

Elizabeth folded her arms and scowled, pursing her lips as  
she glanced towards her bedroom door. Again came her father's  
call, "Elizabeth? You're going to miss breakfast…"

"Will, wake up!" Elizabeth immediately went for his feet, and  
just as he prepared to yelp, she covered his mouth with her hand and  
shook her head. Will stared at her, completely shocked, though quite  
relieved when she released him. Will was about to inquire as to what  
on Earth was going on, when Elizabeth explained,

"My Father," Elizabeth whispered, and all of the blood  
drained from his face.

"What do we do?" Will whispered back, his voice filled with  
worry.

"Elizabeth?"

"Uh…I'm just washing my face, Father!" Elizabeth called back,  
leaping to the floor and pulling Will with her. He had to escape  
somehow, but their options were limited. She looked towards the  
window but then shook her head. It would be too dangerous for Will to  
climb down from. There was only one other solution. "Under the bed,  
quickly!" She hissed, and he flopped down onto his stomach, sliding  
under it. Elizabeth put on a robe over her nightgown, before hurrying  
to the door. At last, she threw it open, beaming. "Good morning!" She  
greeted, causing her father to turn.

"Ah! There you are…" Governor Swann chuckled as she kissed  
him on the cheek. "I was getting so concerned that I was thinking of  
sending one of the maids in to fetch you if you did not come out  
within the next thirty seconds…did you sleep well?"

Elizabeth hoped she was not blushing too badly, and she  
nodded. "Yes, Father, very well…" She listened carefully for any  
movement inside of her room but so far Will had kept as silent as a  
church mouse. Governor Swann blew out his breath, rocking back and  
forth on his heels awkwardly.

"Well then…shall I send your maid in to help you dress?"

Elizabeth frowned. "No…no, I can handle dressing myself,  
truly…I do need the practice after all for when I'm married to Will…"  
She hoped she did not sound too ridiculous. Governor Swann nodded in  
understanding.

"Of course, dearest. I'll expect you and Mr. Turner for  
breakfast shortly. The lad must still be sleeping as well, for he did  
not respond when I called for him…" He proudly looked his daughter up  
and down before turning and walking back down the hall. As soon as he  
was out of earshot, Elizabeth rushed back into her room, shutting and  
locking the door. She got down onto her knees and peered under the  
bed, where Will lay on his stomach, waiting for further instruction.

"He's gone," Elizabeth took his hands and pulled him out,  
brushing the dust from his robe and nightclothes. Will grinned at  
her, and kissed her passionately on the lips.

"Did I ever tell you how wonderful you are?" he whispered, as  
he watched her walk over to her closet and pull out a gown for the  
day, along with one of those miserable posture corsets. She grinned  
and came back over to Will, placing the items in his arms, before  
starting to take off her night gown.

"Of course, Sweetheart, many times…but I always love to hear  
it." she replied.

Will blushed, before glancing down at her garments and back  
up at Elizabeth, who stood in front of him, her arms at her sides.  
When she did not move, he cocked his head in confusion. "What do you  
want me to do with these?" he asked. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and  
he gasped. "Oh…oh!"

Elizabeth laughed. "Oh Will, you don't have to be embarrassed…  
you'll have to help me dress when we're married anyway, so you might  
as well get used to it."

Will set the gown on the bed and picked up the corset  
first. "Of course." He was grinning from ear to ear. He had dreamt  
about doing this type of thing for as long as he could remember, ever  
since he had set eyes on her. Elizabeth felt light as a feather as  
she stepped into the corset, shuddering with pleasure as Will held it  
in place while he walked behind her to tie it. His hands were strong  
and rough from years of working with metal and iron, but they still  
had a gentle touch. Elizabeth gasped as Will tightened the first  
corset string, feeling the hard whalebone dig into her ribs. Why this  
garment was considered high fashion, she had yet to find out. "Are  
you all right?" Will asked, hoping he was not hurting her too badly.  
Elizabeth blew out her breath in a faint wooosh and nodded quickly,  
fanning her face with her hand as he continued tightening the rest of  
the strings. By the time he'd finished, she felt faint from the lack  
of oxygen, but she tried her best to stand tall, waiting for Will to  
bring over her gown. He noticed how pale Elizabeth suddenly was, and  
he stepped in front of her, raising an eyebrow with concern. "It  
hurts you, doesn't it?" he asked quietly.

Elizabeth looked at him, her mouth making a small o' shape  
as she sucked in air. "You h-have no idea," she sobbed.

"Please take it off then…I cannot bare to see you like this,"  
Will begged.

Elizabeth shook her head. "N…no…I can't…it's…"

Will ignored her protests, and began to untie her strings,  
pulling the method of feminine torture off. As soon as he did so,  
Elizabeth let out a gust of air and sunk to the floor. Will quickly  
dropped the corset and knelt down beside her, helping her sit and  
lean against him, so she could compose herself. "Elizabeth…" He  
gasped. "I am NOT letting you wear this when you're married to me. So  
you might as well practice being without one." He kissed her tenderly  
on the cheek. "Just hold yourself like you normally do, and no one  
will notice it's missing. Come, let's finish dressing you so I can  
get back to my quarters before your father catches me…" He helped  
Elizabeth to her feet and once she was able to steady herself, picked  
up the ivory and lavender gown again, holding it open so she could  
step in. When she was ready, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Will,  
burying her face against his neck.

"I love you, William Turner," she whispered. "You are an  
angel…" The thought of not having to wear a posture corset was  
absolutely wonderful.

Will closed his eyes as he held her for a moment, taking in  
her sweet scent, before pulling away. "I'll see you at breakfast, my  
dear." He waved and with a final kiss, he hurried out of the room.  
Elizabeth watched him leave before sighing and rushing to grab her  
shoes, feeling much better without her corset on. She hoped her  
father would not notice. Eventually she made her way down the long  
staircase, trying to hold her body so that it appeared stiff and  
formal. Will was not in the dining room yet when she arrived, but her  
father and Commodore Norrington were. Both men were looking over the  
same map from the a few days before, and were talking in quiet voices  
as they pointed out different points on it.

"Good morning, Commodore," Elizabeth greeted, and the man  
lifted his head.

"Good morning, Miss Swann…I take it you are well rested?"

Elizabeth nodded formally. "Yes, Sir. Thank you."

"Is Mr. Turner nearly ready?" Governor Swann asked, raising his eyes  
to see her.

"Nearly," Elizabeth replied with a small yawn, taking her  
usual seat at the table, smoothing her gown so that it completely  
covered her legs. Just as breakfast was set out on the table, Will  
came into the kitchen, dressed in a pair of dark brown breeches and a  
tan linen shirt with a burgundy vest. He smiled at Elizabeth before  
greeting the governor and the commodore, who nodded respectfully to  
him. "Good morning, Mr. Turner…you may have a seat and help yourself  
if you please," the governor told the blacksmith with a pleasant  
smile, and Will sat down directly across from Elizabeth. He began to  
help himself to hot cakes and bacon, when Elizabeth cleared her  
throat, trying to get his attention. When he turned to her, she held  
her napkin up and demonstrated putting it on her lap. He blushed and  
quickly followed her example, looking over his shoulder at the pier  
before the house.

"Porridge?" Elizabeth asked politely, handing a great bowl of  
it to him.

Will jumped and turned back around, nearly upsetting his  
glass of water. "Oh…no thank you." Porridge had never been one of his  
favorite foods for some reason.

"No? Not even with a bit of honey and cinnamon? It's very  
good, Will, you should try it that way…" Elizabeth said, trying to  
convince him.

Will took a deep breath, before nodding. "All right, then…"

"So what are your plans for the afternoon?" The governor  
asked, as he and, smiling at Will from his seat, as the young man  
accepted the bowl of porridge, and began spooning some into his bowl.  
Then he took the honey and the cinnamon, and poured it in before  
handing the bowl to the commodore, who thanked him.

"I'm not sure," Elizabeth spoke up, smiling as Will took the  
first bite of porridge.

"Would it be all right if we went for a bit of a walk after  
breakfast, Governor?" Will finished, feeling his cheeks turn red  
again. He did not care what it was that they did…all he wanted was to  
spend as much time with Elizabeth as possible. He could not tell the  
governor this…that would be completely embarrassing. Commodore  
Norrington smiled faintly.

"Of course," the governor replied thoughtfully. "Sounds  
lovely…it is a beautiful day."

The governor turned towards his daughter. "We have to begin  
looking for your wedding gown, Poppet…"

Elizabeth nearly choked on a mouthful of orange juice,  
immediately covering her lips with her napkin, glancing at Will. He  
was busy eating at the moment, and had not heard the statement, much  
to her relief. Wedding gowns were not to be discussed before the  
future groom.

"Yes, Father," she replied through gritted teeth.

"And we must supply Mr. Turner with his garments as well…"

Will nearly dropped his fork, startled at the sound of his  
name."Oh, no, sir, please…"

"No, no, I insist. I understand this is not proper table  
talk, but as I hardly see you both during the afternoon, I felt the  
need to bring it up. And think nothing of it, William…nothing is too  
much for my daughter's husband." He was beaming, but the commodore  
was trying very hard not to show his irritation. After all, had Will  
not come along, he would have taken the place as Elizabeth's  
husband. Now he had to stand by and watch some commoner marry her  
instead. It was a sickening thought, really, but he had no room to  
talk.

"So what do you say we shoot for tomorrow morning to do all  
of that?" Governor Swann asked, glancing from Will to Elizabeth, who  
were sinking very low in their chairs.

"Sounds wonderful," Elizabeth grumbled, stabbing her fork  
into her piece of kipper. When breakfast ended at last, the maids  
came to clear the table, and the commodore left to take care of his  
daily duties. Will took Elizabeth's arm, and after saying goodbye to  
the Governor and thanking him for his hospitality, lead his future  
bride outdoors. It was going to be another warm day…the sky was a  
cloudless, deep, sapphire blue, and the sun cast golden rays over the  
tiny town, making it shimmer in copper. The air was thick with  
humidity, causing tiny beads of sweat to pop out on Elizabeth's  
forehead. "What do you want to do, sweetheart?" she asked curiously.  
They had the whole morning and afternoon to do what they pleased,  
with no pressing engagements to worry about. Will turned to her,  
placing a gentle kiss on her ear.

"Let's go to my shop and check on things," he replied  
thoughtfully.

Elizabeth grinned. "Oh yes, I'd love that! I feel as if I  
have not been there in ages! Is Pepper still there?"

Pepper was the name of Will's donkey, that Elizabeth had  
grown very fond of.

Will nodded. "Yes indeed. And he misses you terribly."

Elizabeth giggled, as they made their way down the narrow  
dirt roads. The British navy were stationing themselves on the pier  
and saluted Elizabeth as she walked past. The blacksmith shop was  
about a twenty minute walk, and when they reached it, Will went ahead  
to open the large wooden door. A large cloud of dust billowed out  
from it, causing him to sneeze violently. "HehtCHUUSH!" He quickly  
pulled out his handkerchief and blew his nose.

"Bless you!" Elizabeth told him, as they entered. It took her  
eyes a few moments to adjust to the darkness, and she clasped her  
hands behind her back, gazing around.

"Thank you," Will told her smiling. "It is rather dusty in  
here…I haven't been around to sweep up, so I apologize…"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Will, we both know why  
you weren't…and I could care less anyway…" She kissed him for  
reassurance.

She heard a "Heehaw!" a moment later, and let out an excited  
squeal as she ran over to the tiny paddock in the corner, where  
Pepper stood, bobbing his large head up and down, and pawing at the  
wood with his hoof. He stretched out his neck when Elizabeth came  
over to him, and nibbled at the ends of her hair as she began to  
stroke his grey and black fur. Will walked around, inspecting his  
swords, which hung from an enormous ring on the ceiling. He took one  
down, and began to leap around, practicing with it. Elizabeth  
suddenly grabbed one too, and blocked his oncoming swing, much to his  
surprise. The two of them stood staring at each other, weapons  
raised. Then she pushed his sword downward, and stepped back.

"When did you learn to do that?" Will gasped.

"On my own, actually," Elizabeth told him proudly. "When you  
were out, I would take one of your swords and just swing it around…"

"But you could have hurt yourself!" Will cried in disbelief.  
Elizabeth scoffed. "I am quite impressed." He leaned on the hilt of  
his sword, watching as she began swinging it around in the air again,  
pretending to jab someone with it.

"Avast!" She shouted, aiming the tip of her sword at Will,  
who chuckled.

"Lady, you do not want to challenge a pirate," he told her  
with a playful sneer.  
"Please." She snorted, and her eyes wandered about the room  
again. "Oh, I remember my corner," she added, pointing to the spot  
closest to the door, where her blankets and pillow still lay after  
her last camp out here. Will looked over his shoulder and nodded.

"Aye." Then he turned back to her, smirking. "Shall we?"

She nodded, setting her sword aside. Then she went to fetch the great  
quilt, spreading it out along the hay, and placed both pillows on  
it.The two of them lay down, curling up together as they had the  
night before in her bedroom. Here they had more privacy…for the most  
part, until Will had customers. He wrapped his arms around her  
slender body, nuzzling the back of her neck. He was so lucky to be in  
this position…he felt as though he'd loved Elizabeth forever, and at  
last, she was going to be his. "Let's er…keep our clothes on for  
now," Elizabeth whispered in his ear, caressing his forehead,  
brushing a few loose strands of hair from his eyes. He groaned with  
disappointment, but she could see amusement in his eyes, as his hands  
slowly made their way down her shoulders, loosening her gown a little  
so it revealed more of her breasts.

"Mmmm, is this all right?" he whispered, as she placed her own hands  
against his chest, unbuttoning it only half-way.

"Suitable dearest." She whispered back, running her fingers through  
his hair, and soon pressed her lips against his, passionately kissing  
him.

Would you like to have a roll in the hay?' Will thought to himself,  
as he leaned into her embrace. Absolutely…'

Pepper watched them with his great dark eyes, and began bobbing his  
head again, making his usual grunting noises.

Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder at the animal,  
laughing. "Jealous, are you?" she asked, starting to get up, but Will  
pulled her back down again.

"He's going to have to get used to it," Will told her, kissing her  
again. "I honestly, Elizabeth, can never get enough of you…"

Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes, quite happy with herself. She  
did not want to leave. Eventually, Will sat up, and gently pulled her  
onto his lap, lacing his arms through hers to keep her steady. Gently  
he began rocking her back and forth, twirling a lock of her hair  
around his finger. She used to hate it when he did that when they  
were kids, but now she did not complain at all. Will, you let go of  
my hair! You'll mess it all up!' she used to cry out in alarm. Will  
rested his chin on her shoulder, and began to blow lightly in her  
ear. "Remember when we last went sailing?" He whispered. "The wind  
blowing the sails…with just the right smell of salt…a slow, smooth  
rocking motion as it went over the waves…"

Elizabeth smiled as she imagined the scene in her head. She could see  
Jack at the wheel, singing quietly to himself, swaggering every so  
often like he normally did, and shouting out orders to the rest of  
the crew. More often than not, the crew broke into song as they  
worked, to make the situation more cheerful.

Will began to massage her shoulders, as she had done to him the other  
night, causing Elizabeth to shudder slightly as she felt his rough  
hands against her bare skin. She was ready to melt right into his  
arms as he worked his way down her back, pressing firmly but not  
roughly along her spine. "Suddenly the sky grows dark," He continued,  
blowing a bit harder. "The clouds completely block out the sun…  
suddenly…" Will quickly tipped her sideways, causing her to shriek in  
surprise and start laughing as he turned her around to face him. "The  
rain is pouring down…"

"Oh stop it, Will!" Elizabeth giggled, giving him a gentle shove with  
her hands. "I remember what I used to do when we were kids when you  
annoyed me…"

Will cocked his head to one side. "Oh? What's that?" he teased.

She shoved him to the ground and pinned both of his arms to the  
blanket. so that her body was straddled over his. "This," she  
replied, and started to tickle his sides. Will burst into laughter  
and tried to curl into a ball to escape her wrath, but she was on top  
of him, showing no mercy.

"Okay, okay, I give, I give! Elizabeth, stop it!" Will begged,  
grasping her arms away from him, laughing as she fell beside him, and  
embraced him again. "Hey, hey," he chuckled, brushing her locks  
behind her ear. "Be nice…"

"That wasn't fair to suddenly cast a storm on me," Elizabeth told  
him, sticking out her tongue. "Bloody pirate…"

"I am not," Will chuckled, dropping a few random pieces of straw in  
her hair. Elizabeth gasped and sat up, brushing it out.

"Okay," she said through more giggles. She she stood up, pulling Will  
to his feet and against her. "We're even."

He kissed her mouth, and then her forehead. "Aye." He went over to  
Pepper, and started to scratch the donkey behind its ears, clucking  
his tongue affectionately. The animal was aging, that was for  
certain, though he showed his youth still, with the his  
jitters. "That's my boy…good boy." Will soothed. Elizabeth came up  
behind him, and wrapped her arms around his waist again stroking  
Will's neck. The two of them stood watching Pepper for a moment in  
silence until Elizabeth spoke up.

"Hmm…" she glanced around. "Maybe you should sweep up a little in  
here before we leave again, just to make it seem more homely…it is  
getting rather difficult to breathe in here…"

Will smirked, and dipped her once, gazing into her eyes. "Oh?" He  
asked.

"Mmmm…you smell good, do you know that?" Elizabeth complimented, and  
Will nearly dropped her in surprise.

"Me?" He laughed.

"Of course!"

Will pulled her back up again, his face flushed from the heat in the  
shop, and his hair a bit sweat-soaked. When the two eventually  
parted, he bowed dramatically, before going over to fetch his broom,  
which lay against the wall by the door. "At your request, my lady,"  
he told her with a chuckle, "I shall take on the task. If you  
please." He pointed to the paddock fence. Elizabeth climbed up on it  
to sit and watch, not caring if her dress got a bit dirty. Pepper  
nuzzled her from behind, and she had to grasp the wood to keep from  
falling off. The donkey eventually managed to wriggle his head under  
her arm, so that she could lean on him for support while she sat  
there. It was as though Pepper had been a human being in a former  
life, which was an amusing thought. The idea made Elizabeth giggle  
aloud, causing Will to stop sweeping and look up.

"What's so funny?" He asked with a smirk. Then he saw  
Pepper's position and nearly dropped his broom. "Well, well, well…  
what have we here?"

Elizabeth was now laughing so hard she almost fell backwards  
into the hay. "Will, your donkey is a riot…look at him! I just keep  
thinking that he might have been human once…"

Will snorted. "I highly doubt that…just whatever you do, do  
not light a piece of iron near him or he'll panic…" He continued  
sweeping, unfortunately causing more clouds of dust to rise into the  
air. For the first moment or two, it didn't bother Will at all. Yet  
as the dust thickened, Will felt his nose begin to tingle, much to  
his irritation, and he paused in his work to give it a quick rub.  
Elizabeth, luckily, was paying attention to Pepper at the moment, and  
did not notice. When he felt a little better, he continued sweeping  
again, but of course, then the tickle was back, more fiercely than  
ever. Quickly he dropped his broom for the second time, and retrieved  
his handkerchief from his trouser pocket, plastering it against his  
face.

Elizabeth turned away from Pepper just in time to hear a  
harsh "HehtCHUUUSH!" from Will, who had his back turned to her. She  
raised her eyes in alarm, noticing that the entire area around him  
was filled with floating clouds of dust.

"Are you all right, Will?" Elizabeth asked, sliding down from  
the fence, and walking over to him. She coughed a little as she waved  
her hands, trying to clear the dust away. "I'm sorry…" She added,  
putting a hand on his shoulder as he was blowing his nose for the  
second time that day.

"Yes, I think I'm all right now," He told her,  
smiling. "There just is no point to sweeping this place…I think doing  
so only makes it…worse….hehtCHUUUSH!"

Elizabeth giggled. "Poor thing. Let's go outside and wait  
until it settles…I'm getting a bit of cabin fever anyway, and could  
use some fresh air…even if it is thick with humidity."

Will agreed to the plan wholeheartedly and, warning Pepper to  
behave himself while they were gone, took Elizabeth's arm to escort  
her out the door. People were walking the streets now as they sat  
down on the front step, cuddling against each other. A rather chubby  
woman came over to them. She had a fairly serious expression on her  
face. She wore a dark blue gown with a sequined top, and a large hat  
rested on top of her head with a white feather sticking out from the  
top. "Mr. Turner, I am hoping that the new shoes for my champion pony  
will be ready fairly soon?" she asked coolly. Then as she got a  
better look at him, her eyes widened, and she clutched her tiny  
beaded purse tightly in her fingers. "Oh…my…."

Will blinked, standing and quickly pocketing his handkerchief  
again. "Madame Barton, are you all right?" he asked, very confused.  
Elizabeth suddenly covered her mouth with her hands, letting out a  
tiny laugh. Will had completely forgotten to button his shirt, and  
his chest was still showing.

"Ahem. Hem! Ahem!" Elizabeth cleared her throat rather loudly  
to try and get Will's attention, and he turned to her, his eyebrow  
raised. She pointed to her chest, grimacing a little. Will turned a  
bright shade of crimson when he looked down, and sure enough, found  
his shirt still unbuttoned.

"Bloody hell, I'm so sorry…" he apologized, quickly buttoning  
it up again.

Madame Barton gave a great sniff and nodded. "Yes, well…is my  
order going to be ready soon or not? I do not have the time to…"

"Yes, I will get right on it today, Madame Barton. I've been  
er…rather busy lately and have not been at the shop…"

Madame Barton glared at Elizabeth, who looked down at her  
shoes. "I can only imagine why…"

Will scowled. "Yes, well, I will telegram you when I have  
finished…"

"All right, but make it quick." Madame Barton turned on her  
heel and stalked away, her hat askew as a rather heavy breeze blew  
past her. Elizabeth was trying very hard not to burst into laughter  
as she watched the woman walk away, but when Madame Barton was out of  
earshot, she did so, and so did Will.

"Oh my God, that was priceless! You should have seen your  
face!" Elizabeth teased, pointing at him.

"How could you have let me go outside that way?" Will  
sniggered.

"I didn't even think about it," Elizabeth told him, wiping a  
few small tears from her eyes. "But oh, that was the funniest thing  
I've ever seen!"

Will lifted her into his arms, and she fought down a shriek  
as she clung to his neck. "As is this," he told her.

"Let me down, Will!" she snapped.

"You're not going to let me do this on our wedding night?" he  
asked as he carried her down the steps. Some of the villagers who  
were passing by, stopped to stare. Elizabeth looked up at him,  
feeling her cheeks grow warm.

"Of course, but it is not our wedding night yet, and put me  
down this instant before you completely embarrass us even more than  
you already have!"

Will did as she told him, and she straightened her dress,  
folding her arms and tapping her foot on the ground. "Now what, Mr.  
Turner? I think you ought to get to work on those horse shoes before…"

"You're not angry with me, are you?" Will asked hopefully.

"Of course not," Elizabeth sighed. "How could I be…"

Will beamed. "Good. Because then you can watch how I work…I'm  
sure you've been curious enough."

Elizabeth smiled. "Sure…what else is there to do? Just as  
long as you don't start sneezing your head off again…" She poked him  
on the arm, and he rolled his eyes, before leading her back into the  
shop. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

For over an hour, Elizabeth sat, watching Will skillfully  
craft a few pieces of iron into perfect horse shoes. As he worked,  
Will hardly even noticed that she was in the room. He was bent over  
his tiny table, banging away. Then he would stick the iron in the  
hot coals to shape it every so often. Sure enough, whenever he lit  
the shoe on fire, Pepper went mad, rearing on his hind legs and  
squealing in terror. "Calm down," Elizabeth soothed, climbing into  
the paddock to grab Pepper's harness. The donkey nearly knocked her  
down again, but she managed to slide out of his way just in  
time. "It's not going to hurt you…see how far away it is?" Elizabeth  
asked, as the animal pranced around in a circle, his great tail  
swishing back and forth. Eventually Elizabeth managed to calm the  
donkey, and gave him a few sugar cubes that Will stored in a  
container on one of the tables.

"You should get out of there before you ruin your gown," Will  
told her smiling as he continued banging the hammer against the iron.  
Elizabeth did as she was told, though she could have cared less about  
getting her dress dirty. When she told him this, Will shook his head  
with a smirk. "Are you purposely trying to get me into trouble?"

She kissed him. "No." Then she placed one of her hands on top  
of his, smiling. "Can I try?" she whispered. Will hesitated. He  
wanted to get these shoes to Mrs. Barton before she had a fit, and  
gave him a bad reputation to the rest of the town. Still, he decided  
he could always fix it back into shape if for some crazy reason  
Elizabeth messed up the iron.

"All right, but please be careful…" Will handed her the  
hammer, and stepped aside so she could take his place. He folded his  
arms and watched as she firmly tapped the half-finished horse shoe,  
gasping as the sound of the clang made her body tremble. She was  
beaming as she repeated the gesture, holding onto one end of the shoe  
tightly so she would not cause it to flip up into the air and smack  
her on the forehead. Will hated to admit it, but that had happened to  
him more than once before, and had caused quite a few nasty bruises  
to form.

"That is different," Elizabeth announced, once she'd had  
enough and handed the hammer back to him. "Thank you…I've always  
wanted to see how it felt to be a blacksmith…"

Will laughed. "It's not all fun and games, My Lady…"

Elizabeth put her hands on her hips. "I hate it when you call  
me that…" She sighed. Will laughed and shook his head.

"Call you what?"

"You know what."

He smirked. "Well I promise that I will not do such a thing  
again, then." He went to smack the hammer against the shoe again when  
sure enough, missed. Elizabeth covered her mouth with her hands as  
the iron flew up and smacked him right in the forehead, and she  
watched in shock as he quickly dropped his tool and placed his hand  
against the tender spot, cursing. "Damn it!" Luckily the cool end of  
the metal had whacked him, or it would have caused more damage.

Elizabeth burst out laughing, and rushed over to him,  
carefully pulling his hand away and examining the bruise that was  
starting to appear. He cried out when she touched it gently with her  
fingertips, and she clucked her tongue. "Let me get you a compress  
for that…at least it will help somewhat," she said through her  
giggles.

"I am so glad you find this funny," Will grumbled as she lead  
him over to a chair so he could sit down.

"You will too, afterwards," she told him as she went to fetch  
a cloth. "I'll use the water pump out back to soak this," she added,  
and he nodded, closing his eyes tightly as pain seared through his  
head. Elizabeth went outside and around the back of the shop, over to  
the water pump, soaked the cloth, and squeezed out excess droplets  
before going back inside again. Will gasped as she pressed the folded  
cloth against the bruise, but she placed her free hand on his  
shoulder. "Just calm down for a moment and it will be all right," she  
soothed.

"Let us hope that this welt goes away before our wedding,"  
Will sighed.

"I would not worry so much," Elizabeth insisted. "No one will  
care…"

"I will." Will muttered. "Of course, everything always  
happens to me, doesn't it? Only every so often do I have a stroke of  
good luck…" he grinned at her, and laughed when he saw her blushing.

"I was hoping you'd come up with a way to weasel out of that  
statement," Elizabeth laughed also as she sat down on his lap,  
putting her free arm around his shoulders. "And Madame Barton will be  
satisfied by your horseshoes…they look fantastic already and you've  
not even finished!" She planted a kiss on top of his head. "Now how  
does it feel?" she asked, removing the compress.

"Much better, thank you…" Will wrapped his arms around her  
waist. "Madame Barton can wait, I think," he whispered into her  
ear. "Let us get out and take a walk and maybe find a place to have a  
small picnic?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I am sure Father will not mind sparing a  
bit of food, so we'll have to go back to my house then." She stood  
up, helping Will to his feet, trying not to laugh again at his  
injury. Will made sure to clean everything up, putting his tools away  
and the iron horse shoes in a safe place, before saying goodbye to  
Pepper.

"Mind the place now," Will warned.

"Heehaw!" Pepper replied, bobbing his head, reaching out his  
neck to Elizabeth again, who stroked him one last time.

"Come on then." Will took her hand and the two of them left  
the shop. Elizabeth waited until Will locked the door before lacing  
her fingers through his again while they started to walk down the  
street. It had grown incredibly warm, and Elizabeth found it rather  
difficult to breathe properly in the stuffy air.

The two made their way down the street, talking to each  
other, neither caring about the odd looks they were receiving.  
Certainly no one had expected Elizabeth Swann to marry a poor  
blacksmith. Everyone expected her to accept Commodore Norrington's  
proposal, in what would supposedly be a "fine match". Elizabeth  
agreed wholeheartedly…the commodore was a good man, just not a man  
she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She remembered the  
sour expression on his face at breakfast, and grinned as she  
continued to hold hands with Will. He was very jealous, she could  
tell. I'd rather follow my heart than my Father's,' she thought with  
a quiet sigh as she glanced up at Will, feeling laughter bubble  
inside of her again when she noticed how dark his bruise had become.

"Goodness, could it be any warmer outside?" she asked,  
fanning herself with her silk fan that she had luckily brought with  
her. Will smiled.

"Aye it could, Love." He replied as they walked up the steps  
to the Governor's mansion, and Elizabeth opened the door. Kati,  
Elizabeth's maid, was busy dusting in the front hallway, and had her  
back turned to them as she worked on a painting that hung on the wall  
by the bottom of the stairs.

"Kati, is Father about?" Elizabeth spoke up, and the maid  
gasped, whirling around.

"Ah, Miss…I did not hear you come in!" When she saw Will come  
out from behind Elizabeth, a slight blush crept into her tanned  
cheeks, and she hid the feather duster behind her back, grinning  
nervously. "Good afternoon, Mr. Turner…nice to see you again…"

Will nodded respectfully. "And the same to you, Ma'am."

"Your Father is out for the afternoon…he had to take care of  
some business or other with the navy men… Is there something I could  
get for you, Miss?"

Elizabeth nodded. "As a matter of fact, yes you could," she replied  
thoughtfully. "  
Will and I were thinking about going on a picnic, but of course we  
didn't decide until the last minute and we had no food with us…"

"Of course, Miss, of course! I'll fix up something real nice  
for you…"

Elizabeth grinned. "Fix it for three, Kati…"

"Three, Miss? Are you expecting another guest?" She asked.

"You of course!" Elizabeth replied.

Kati's eyes grew very large and she stepped back a pace. "Oh  
now Miss, that would not be proper, no…what would your Father say if  
he saw me with you?"

Elizabeth chuckled. "He'd think it was delightful. You work  
very hard, Kati, and deserve an afternoon off."

Kati turned to Will. "Won't you join us?" he added.

"Oh Miss, I don't know what to say…"

Elizabeth grinned. "I know what you could say," she  
began, "You can say Elizabeth instead of Miss if you will…"

Kati blushed again. "Yes Miss…Elizabeth. I'll start fixing us  
something real nice to eat straight away…just have a seat and make  
yourselves comfortable while you wait," she announced, and bustled  
into the kitchen. Will sat down on the chair by the front door, and  
Elizabeth sat down on his lap, causing him to grunt for a moment.  
Once he managed to steady her, he glanced up at the candle sticks by  
the doorframe, and smirked.

"Dear, might I ask you something?" Will asked.

"What?"

"Why do those candlesticks make such a loud echo when you  
take them out?"

Elizabeth laughed. "It's Father's idea of a door knocker.  
Connected to the end of that candle stick on the outside of the house  
are two rocks, and a trigger sets them off every time someone takes  
one out. Watch…" Elizabeth slid off of his lap and went over to the  
candlesticks, lifting one from it's holder, and an echoing knock  
sounded through the house. Will nodded. He had done that before, but  
had been so startled by the loud noise it caused that he had dumped  
the candlestick into the umbrella bin.

The two of them sat together, glad that the Governor had gone  
out and could not see them like this, waiting for Kati to come back  
with a picnic basket. Will leaned his forehead on the back of  
Elizabeth's head, touching the back of her neck with his fingertips.  
His hands slid up under her hair, which felt so soft and silky.  
Elizabeth closed her eyes as she felt Will massage the back of her  
neck, and she wrapped her legs around his so she would not fall off  
of his lap.

Kati soon came back with a large basket, and stopped  
short. "Oh…" she whispered, and Will immediately lowered his hands  
and Elizabeth's head shot up.

"Thank you, Kati," Elizabeth told her maid, hopping off of  
Will's lap yet again. "Now go and change so you'll be more  
comfortable."

"But Elizabeth, all I have are maid's gowns and one evening  
gown."

"Hmm…well, all right…I suppose that will have to do. At least  
take off your bonnet."

Kati was beaming as she did as she was told, and she stood  
with Will, waiting for Elizabeth to scribble a note to her Father,  
telling him of Kati's whereabouts.

"I can't thank you enough," Kati told Elizabeth as they went  
outside, locking the door behind them. Elizabeth smiled as they  
headed in the direction of the park by the water. They found a nice,  
lush patch to sit upon, and Elizabeth helped Kati set up the picnic  
blanket. Will unpacked the food basket, taking a great breath of the  
fresh salt air that wafted from the bay. Elizabeth sat right beside  
Will, smiling as he unwrapped the sandwiches, and handed one to Kati  
first.

"It feels so very nice to be out in the fresh air," Kati told  
them.

Elizabeth laughed. "Fresh air?" She took a deep breath of the  
humidity and pretended to gag, fainting jokingly across Will's lap.  
He smirked, and bent over to kiss her forehead. She struggled to sit  
up again, giggling as Will pulled her to him. Kati chuckled.

"You are both going to look so handsome at your wedding," she  
announced. "It seems like ages away…"

Elizabeth nodded. "Thank you, Kati. Would you believe Father  
had the nerve to mention wedding gowns at breakfast this morning? I  
honestly thought I would die!"

Will snorted. "I'm flattered that he's willing to provide an  
outfit for me…"

Elizabeth smiled. "Well, that was very kind of him at least…  
it's just…wedding garments are not to be discussed…"

Will touched his fingers to her lips. "At the table, I know."

Kati raised her eyes as she sat munching on her portion of  
the food, eventually reaching for the bowl of freshly cut fruit.  
Peaches, pears, apples and oranges were the variety she had chosen…  
Elizabeth's favorites. For a few moments, the three of them were more  
intent on eating their meal than they were in chatting, until Kati  
spoke up. "So, what are you two going to do on your wedding night?  
Are you going to carry her away like in the fairy tales?"

Elizabeth nearly choked on her glass of milk. "Kati! That is  
too bold!" she gasped.

Kati grinned mischievously. "Is Will a nice kisser?"

"KATI!"

Will turned to Elizabeth, grinning as well. "Am I, dearest?"  
he asked in a sweet voice. Elizabeth folded her arms, her cheeks  
turning bright red with embarrassment. She stuck her lower lip out in  
a pout, and glared at him.

"Now this isn't fair!" she snapped.

He laughed, and cupped her face in his hands. "I might have  
to re-think taking you sailing with Jack next time he comes around,"  
he teased, rubbing noses with her.

She gasped and gave him a playful shove. "Oh no you won't! If  
I have to sneak on that ship I will…"

Will touched the ends of her hair softly. "You know I would  
never leave you behind…" He turned to Kati with a wink. "Watch and  
learn, My Lady…" He lowered his lips to Elizabeth's, pulling her into  
a tender, loving kiss. Kati nearly dropped her apple in surprise, and  
she placed her hands against the sides of her face, her mouth falling  
open with a gasp before giggling, and covering her eyes. The kiss  
lasted for a full two minutes, before the two broke apart, taking a  
great breath, before beaming.

"Oh I could melt right here I could!" Kati squealed,  
giggling. "Only five more days…"

"Shhhhh!" Elizabeth hissed. "Don't make me think about it!"  
She gave Will a joking look of disgust, but he pulled out a handful  
of grass and dumped it on her hair, ruffling what he could of it. She  
shrieked.

"Will, you let go of my hair NOW, or you'll mess it up!!!"

Will couldn't help himself. He doubled over in roars of  
laughter and fell backwards, clutching at his sides. She put her  
hands on her hips. "What's so funny?" she asked harshly.

"You always s-said that when you were little," Will gasped  
through his chuckles. Elizabeth turned to Kati, and nodded to her.  
Soon both girls attacked and started to tickle him, Elizabeth on one  
side and Kati on the other. Will curled up into a ball, covering his  
head with his arms as they did so.

"Elizabeth!"

Everyone froze. Elizabeth very slowly lifted her head, to see  
her father standing before them, an expression of great horror on his  
face. Silence filled the air for a moment or two.

"Father…"

"What are you thinking, acting in such a manner in public?  
And Kati…what do you think you're…"

"Do not get angry at her, Father…I invited Kati to come with  
us on a picnic," Elizabeth insisted. "I did not think you'd mind,  
honest!"

Kati looked near tears as she quickly stood up. She  
straightened her dress, curtsyed with her arms stiffly at her sides,  
and bowed her head. The governor nodded, chewing on his lower lip. "I  
just find it rather rude that you did not include me in the fun…"

Everyone sighed with relief and laughed. Elizabeth then  
pointed at an empty spot on the blanket. "You may join us, Father, if  
you're not too busy."

The governor chuckled. "No, no, I have business to take care  
of at the house."

Kati gulped. "I'm…sorry for abandoning my post, sir,"

The governor shook his head. "Nonsense…everyone deserves a  
holiday. Well…carry on, then…I'll expect you home at a reasonable  
hour, Elizabeth…preferably for supper," He ordered quietly.

Elizabeth nodded, and waved as he walked away. When he was  
gone, everyone practically sunk back onto the blanket in a dead faint  
with relief. Elizabeth rested her head on Will's stomach, stroking  
his chin, as he kept a strong hand on her back. Kati relaxed again,  
lying down on her side, allowing her mind to drift away into a  
comfortable doze. "Let's all take a…." Will yawned hugely. "Nap…"

Elizabeth nodded. "Mmm hmmm." She snuggled against him so she  
could find a more restful position. "Sounds…good…" Soon she started  
to snore quietly, and Will looked down at her with a small smile on  
his face.

"I'll wake you in a bit…just sleep now," he whispered,  
singing softly, "Yo, ho…yo, ho…a pirate's life for me…" 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

By the time Will, Elizabeth and Kati returned to the house,  
it was only an hour until suppertime. Will walked the two girls up to  
the front door, and Elizabeth shooed Kati away so Elizabeth could  
spend a few minutes alone with him. Kati hurried around to the  
backdoor, completely understanding the situation.

"I had a wonderful time today, Will…I do wish you could stay  
for supper, though…" She sounded as though she were saying goodbye to  
him forever.

Will chuckled. "I've already taken advantage of your Father's  
hospitality enough…he might get sick of me if I continue to stay for  
meals every night." He bent his head so he could plant yet another  
kiss on her lips, and gasped in surprise as she threw her arms around  
his neck in a tight hug. He held her for a moment, before whispering  
in her ear, "I'm only a few minutes away." She nodded, refusing to  
let go of him. Will eventually had to pry her off, giving her a nudge  
towards the door. "I'll see you first thing tomorrow morning, all  
right, Sweetheart?" He was looking her up and down with pride.

She sighed. "I suppose…" She touched his cheek gently with  
her hand. "Good night, Will." She smiled at him before hitching her  
skirts and making her way inside. Will stood on the step watching her  
disappear through the door, shaking his head with a chuckle. He  
wondered just how attached to him she'd be once they were married. As  
Will made his way back to the blacksmith shop to continue his work,  
he thought this idea over. He had a bit of a temper, this she knew,  
and often yelled when he was not in the greatest of moods. Whenever  
Will did that now, Elizabeth usually just yelled right back at him,  
and threatened to strike him over the head with his hammer. They  
would certainly have to learn to work things out in a more  
appropriate manner when they lived together.

While he walked, Will found himself gazing longingly out at  
the water again, at the horizon beyond it. He wondered where Jack was  
now, and whether or not the pirates would come back for him. The  
night before, while he was staying with Elizabeth, he dreamt that he  
was on the Black Pearl again, only he had control of the wheel and  
the crew was under his command. Elizabeth was there of course,  
shouting orders, the sea breeze ruffling blowing her long hair every  
which way. Will rubbed his hands over his face, still feeling a bit  
groggy after their small nap, and was quite relieved when he reached  
his shop. Pepper was still where they'd left him, asleep standing up  
as all donkeys did, his thin tail swishing back and forth every so  
often. "Right where I left you." He said, smiling as he went over to  
the animal, and gently patted its neck. Pepper opened a lazy eye and  
snickered quietly. "Good boy." Will praised, before going over to  
fetch his half-finished horse shoes.

Back at the house, supper was a rather quiet affair. For the first  
time in months, it was just Elizabeth and her father at the table,  
and it felt a little queer. Usually Commodore Norrington or another  
of the navy commanders were with them, but not tonight. Governor  
Swann glanced at his daughter worriedly as she sat eating. "You are  
awfully quiet tonight, Elizabeth. Is everything all right?"

Elizabeth jumped. "Yes, Father."

The governor smiled, pleased. "I understand that you are nervous  
about the wedding, dearest, but I do believe you have chosen the  
right path, and I am proud of you for sticking up for yourself. I  
would have never forgiven myself if I forced you into a position you  
did not wish to be in."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and set her fork down on her half-empty  
plate. "Do you truly approve of my choice, Father?" she asked softly.  
This was the moment of truth, and she held her breath, almost afraid  
to hear his answer. The governor looked rather uncomfortable and did  
not say anything for a moment. He twiddled his thumbs, looking down  
at the table at first. "Father?"

The governor glanced at his daughter, and smiled fondly at  
her. "Dearest, the match was not anything I had expected, I'll tell  
you that much. Yet Mr. Turner is a fine lad, and I know he will take  
good care of you."

Elizabeth felt her heart swell. "He will, Father, I know it."

"But a pirate of all beings…" the governor chuckled into his tea that  
Kati had just recently poured, and then the maid went over to  
Elizabeth.

"Tea or coffee, Miss?" She asked quietly.

"Just tea, thank you."

Elizabeth scowled as she went to take a sip, nearly scalding her  
lips. "Oh! Ouch!"

"I'm sorry, Miss! I forgot to tell you to blow on it first," Kati  
apologized, blushing furiously.

Elizabeth fanned her mouth and grinned sheepishly. "I should have  
known that without having to be told, Kati…" She turned towards her  
father again, smiling sweetly. "I do wish you would not look down on  
Will just because he happens to be a pirate. And for your  
information, Father, he is half pirate."

The governor blinked. "Half pirate? There is no such thing as half'  
anything."

"His Father was a pirate, his mother was not," Elizabeth replied  
haughtily.

The governor nodded. "I see. Well then, by your request, I shall not  
patronize Mr. Turner again."  
Elizabeth nodded back. "Thank you. Well, I am getting very tired…I  
think I ought to go up to bed…"

"So soon?"

"It's been a long day. I'd like some time to myself…" She stood up,  
nearly tripping over the hem of her gown, but catching herself on the  
table just in time. The governor sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"All right, then. Good night, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth quickly placed a kiss on his cheek. "Good night, Father."  
She hurried out of the dining room and up the long, spiral staircase  
to her bedroom. Once she locked herself inside, she stood glancing  
around with a slight smile on her face. Soon she and Will would have  
a small place of their own in the village. Will would probably turn  
the blacksmith shop into a fine house, for the two were very simple  
as it was. They did not need much except the very basics and for each  
other to be happy. After all, because Mr. Brown was getting old, he  
gave the blacksmith shop to Will to manage. This meant that he had  
complete freedome to do what he wished with the place.

She went over to the window and gazed out at the darkening sky,  
smiling to herself as she watched the last of the townspeople made  
their way either to their homes or to the local pub. As she looked  
out over the ocean, she thought Jack, wherever you are…please come  
back…' and she took hold of the curtains gently in her palm.

The next couple of days went by in a blur for Elizabeth, as  
everyone was so busy preparing for the wedding. She at last found the  
perfect gown, after nearly searching all of Port Royal for it. The  
governor had certainly been driven up the wall after hearing his  
daughter change her mind so often. Due to all of the hustle and  
bustle, Elizabeth and Will rarely saw each other at all.

On the day before the wedding, while Kati tried different hair styles  
on Elizabeth, Will spent time going over the guest book with the  
governor. Will was amazed at just how many people were invited.

"The entire navy fleet?" Will asked with disbelief, feeling  
his stomach churn. The governor nodded, beaming as he marked  
something down on the last page.

"That's right. After all, this is a very special occasion,  
and should be treated as such. I want nothing less for my daughter."

Will gulped. All he'd ever wanted was a simple wedding, with  
a few of his closest friends to attend. There were at least five  
hundred people coming to this. "And...where is it going to be held,  
sir?" he asked.

"At the town church, naturally. Beautiful setting…right on a  
cliff side overlooking the Caribbean sea. You'll be coming with me in  
a bit to inspect it. We have to set up tables for the reception, make  
sure there are enough seats for everyone inside…" As the governor  
continued talking, Will wished he could run up to Elizabeth's room  
and shut himself in with her.

"I suppose I will not see Elizabeth until tomorrow?" Will  
asked. To see Elizabeth would at least bring him quite a bit of  
comfort.

The governor shook his head. "I'm afraid not, My Boy…it's is  
not right to see her till the ceremony tomorrow. Both of you have  
quite a bit of work ahead. I am sure you are quite pleased with your  
suit I picked out for you"

Will smiled. "Yes, sir, I like it very much. Thank you."

"Good, I'm glad. In any case…let us start making our way to  
the church, shall we? We have quite a bit to do." He shut the guest  
book and tucked it under one arm, before leading the young blacksmith  
out of the mansion.

"Kati, I'm not sure if I can go through with this," Elizabeth  
whispered, feeling as though she were going to vomit at any second.  
She stood completely dressed in her gown and shoes, with her hair  
done up. It was the night before the wedding, and she was making sure  
everything fit properly and looked decent. Kati stood on a stool and  
pulled a string of small pearls around her lady's neck, brushing  
Elizabeth's hair out of the way so she could clasp the chain.

"It will be all right, Miss. I assure you. Will is a fine man and he  
will take good care of you…"

Elizabeth sighed. "It's not that, Kati…I know I made the right  
choice. I'm just terrified of having to walk down the isle in front  
of all of those people…do you know that father invited over five  
hundred? The man is mad!" She gazed at her reflection in the oval  
mirror on the door. It was almost as though she had transformed into  
a completely different person.

Kati smiled to herself as she stepped in front of Elizabeth, her  
hands on her pudgy hips. "You're going to be fantastic. Pretend it is  
just you and Will in the church. Pretend no one else is in there."

"But I can't! Kati, what if I throw up or faint on the way down the  
isle? I feel like doing so right now…" she clutched her stomach with  
a soft moan. "Not to mention I hate the feeling of this retched  
corset…it keeps digging into my ribs!"

Kati chuckled. "You will do nothing of the sort."

Elizabeth choked on a sob. "I wish Will were here," she whispered. "I…  
I'll feel so much better if I could just see him."

Kati nodded. "And I'm sure he feels the same way, Miss. Shall I start  
taking these things off for you? I think you look just fine."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, please. Thank you, Kati." She sighed with  
relief as the maid began to untie the sash then the corset strings.  
Had it been any other night, as soon as Kati left she would creep out  
the window and make her way to the blacksmith's shop. As it was,  
doing so just did not feel right this time. So Elizabeth sadly said  
good night to Kati once she had her nightgown on, and shut the door  
after her. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

At last, the wedding day arrived. To everyone's relief, the  
weather was absolutely perfect. The sky was a deep, sapphire blue  
and cloudless. The bright sun cast beautiful golden rays over the  
village. Around nine o'clock the navy ships began pulling into Port  
Royals' harbor, and the men assembled onto the docks awaiting  
instructions. The governor walked up and down the lines of young  
sailors, telling them the procedure for the day.

"All will report to the church at precisely eleven o'clock.  
The front section of pews are reserved for the members of my  
household and all of you. I do believe we have plenty of seating for  
everyone." He cleared his throat nervously, feeling his heart pound  
rapidly against his chest. It was hard to believe that his little  
girl was finally getting married. The governor felt his throat choke  
up slightly as he imagined Elizabeth walking down the isle with him,  
her beautiful gray eyes glistening with tears of happiness.

"Sir?" one of the sailors announced, breaking the governor's  
train of thought at the moment. Governor Swann looked up, realizing  
that everyone was staring, waiting for him to continue.

"Right—I'm sorry." The governor clasped his hands behind his  
back and nodded respectfully to the sailor who had spoken up. He  
continued to give everyone their duties, thinking all the while that  
the hour could not come soon enough.

Back at the house, Elizabeth awoke, blinking so that her  
eyes focused properly on her surroundings. The room was still fairly  
dark, but that was because the curtains remained drawn.

It had taken Elizabeth quite a long time to fall asleep the  
night before as her nerves had taken over. Yawning loudly, she  
stretched her slender arms over her head, grunting a little.  
Elizabeth was just about to slide her legs over the side of the bed  
when she heard a few gentle knocks on the door.

"Who is it?" she called, or rather, croaked.

"It is Kati," the voice called kindly.

Elizabeth smiled to herself as she hopped to out of bed and  
went to open the door for the maid. Kati immediately urged Elizabeth  
back a few paces, trying not to drop the large tray she was  
carrying. Once the door was closed, Elizabeth folded her arms and  
cocked her head to one side. "What on Earth is going on? You look  
very flustered, Kati!"

Kati cleared Elizabeth's vanity table and set the tray on  
top of it before responding. "Will just arrived, Miss, and we have  
to keep you hidden. Tis bad luck for the groom to see his bride  
before the wedding after all…"

Elizabeth nodded in understanding. "I know. But…why is he  
here?" she asked.

Kati smiled softly. "He could not very well dress in a  
blacksmith shop, could he?" she asked, walking over to make sure  
that nothing had happened to the gown overnight. Elizabeth turned to  
the tray Kati had set on her vanity to see what was on it. There was  
a bowl of porridge sweetened just the way she liked it with a bit of  
honey and a dash of cinnamon, a few pieces of toast with fresh  
strawberry preserves on the side, and a cup of strong, black coffee.  
Elizabeth at last sat down in her whicker chair and played around with the  
porridge a bit, not quite ready to put food in her stomach yet. It  
was complete torture also, to know that Will was in the house and  
that she could not see him. Not a single glimpse until noon, when  
the wedding would be held. Elizabeth blew out a trembling breath and  
set her spoon down on the table, pushing the tray away from her.

Kati heard this, and stood up from her inspections, wiping  
her sweat-covered hands upon her white lace apron. "Oh please eat  
something, Miss," she encouraged. "The last thing you will want is  
to be weak from hunger at the ceremony."

Elizabeth reluctantly pulled her tray back, and took a small  
spoonful of porridge. It felt like cement sliding down her throat,  
and she almost gagged on it. "I can't eat anything right now…" she  
looked quite green to Kati, who frowned.

The maid then had a perfect idea. "Would you like a nice  
bath to relax?" Elizabeth nodded, forcing herself to nibble on a  
piece of plain toast. The preserves remained untouched. "Aye,  
wonderful. I'll go and see to it then." Kati beamed and bustled out  
of the room to send for the tub, and Elizabeth sunk into her  
seat. Will…I miss you so much,' she thought. I would love for you  
to hold me in your arms now more than ever…'

Will sat at the oak desk in his room, gazing fondly at the  
tiny velvet box that contained Elizabeth's wedding ring. A simple  
golden band with a few small diamonds surrounding it. Will had  
specifically designed the ring himself, knowing how Elizabeth  
enjoyed simple things. The governor liked the idea, and had the  
goldsmith create it.

He touched it tenderly with his fingers, which were rough from years of  
hard labor , and closed his eyes as he  
imagined Elizabeth in her wedding gown. No matter what happened,  
Will knew she would make him proud. After a moment, he closed the  
box again and gave a soft sniffle, before sitting down in the  
rocking chair. Will felt slightly drained, and he could feel the  
beginnings of a headache coming on. The young blacksmith had been  
through so muchh in the past couple of days in setting up for the  
wedding, that it would not surprise him if he were indeed catching a  
chill. He had just pulled his large handkerchief out of his pocket  
when he heard a few knocks on the door.

"Who is it?" he called, wiping his nose with the soft linen  
cloth as he stood.

"The butler, Sir. I have a spot of breakfast for you."

Will groaned as he put the white linen cloth away, before  
allowing the middle-aged, balding man inside. Will was too nervous  
to eat anything right then. The sight of the food on the tray made  
him feel slightly nauseated, and he was sure that his face would be  
green if he glanced in the mirror.

"Thank you," Will told the man, despite how he felt. All he  
wanted to do at the moment was to crawl back into bed and sleep well  
into the afternoon, but he did not have the time. He had to dress,  
and make sure that he got to the church at least an hour before  
Elizabeth. As far as he knew, the house footman would escort him  
first, and then come back and escort Elizabeth, where her father  
would be waiting to walk down the isle with her.

"Is there anything else I might get for you, Mr. Turner?"

Will smiled as he surveyed the tray's contents. A bowl of  
porridge with a few dashes of honey and cinnamon, a plate of toast  
with marmalade, and a cup of coffee. "No, Richard. I think I am  
all…" he paused when his nose began to tickle unbearably. The butler  
raised an eyebrow with concern when Will cut himself off.

"Are you quite all right, Lad?"

Will immediately pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket  
again, and buried his nose in the fabric. "HehtCHSHHH! KaCHSHHHHH!"  
He sneezed violently, twice in a row, nearly doubling over from the  
force. Oh wonderful,' he thought miserably as he gave his nose a  
strong blow. He usually sneezed in doubles when he was starting to  
come down with something. This was not the time to get sick, that  
was for sure.

"I do hope you're not coming down with a chill, Lad!"  
Richard told Will with concern.

Will shook his head as he pocketed his handkerchief  
again. "I don't think I am," he lied.

Richard nodded. "Well, just have a bit to eat and I'll send for your  
suit and shoes so you can dress." He bowed low before turning and  
heading out of the room. Will watched the butler with astonishment…  
no one had ever bowed low' to him before in his life! In fact, he  
was always usually the one doing the bowing. When the butler left,  
Will sat down at the desk, gazing at his breakfast, lost in thought.  
His headache had intensified since the recent sneezing fit, and he  
felt slightly dizzy. Still, eating a bite or two of porridge could  
not possibly hurt, and the coffee would certainly help clear his  
sinuses a bit.

Eventually, Richard came back with his tuxedo and his shoes,  
which looked absolutely perfect. "'Ere you are, Lad. I'll let you  
take care of this yourself, but if you need a hand, just holler for  
me, and I'll be about." The butler bowed to him before leaving the  
room a second time. Will chuckled, sniffling slightly as he placed  
the outfit on the bed.

"Elizabeth?" Elizabeth lounged comfortably in her bath of  
warm rose water. The fumes went straight to her head and calmed her  
down a bit. She had absolutely no urge to get out of the bath now,  
yet she knew she had only an hour left before she had to leave the  
house.

"Yes?" she called, lifting her head from the edge of the  
tub.

"Are you almost finished? I have four other maids with me  
who are going to help you dress in a moment or two…"

Elizabeth sighed. "Now I am!" She watched as the door to the  
bedroom open and saw that Kati had four other ladies with her. Each  
of the maids were carrying something, whether it be hair pieces,  
jewelry, shoes or perfume.

"Let me help you get all dried off then," Kati told  
Elizabeth, beaming as she took a fluffy white towel and wrapped  
Elizabeth in it, before helping her out of the tub and onto the  
floor. "Did you have a nice soak?"

Elizabeth smiled as she hurried to go behind the changing  
screen, feeling her heart thumping against her chest. It was almost  
time. "It was very nice, Kati, thank you. I've not had such a lovely  
bath in ages!"

Margaret, the very pudgy head maid, with long, grey hair  
pulled into a bun, spoke in a very thick, Yorkshire accent as she  
ordered the other maids about the room, showing them where to put  
everything. "Tha' musn't waste time now!" she shouted, as Kati  
handed her a corset to give to Elizabeth. Margaret stepped behind  
the screen, and watched as Elizabeth put on her slip, before having  
the young bride step into the whale bone-based garment. Elizabeth  
groaned inwardly as she turned around, so Margaret could tighten the  
strings.

"Oh…ow…" Elizabeth grunted as each tug forced the thick bone  
to dig into her ribs.

"The gown, Dora, the gown!" Margaret squawked, causing  
Elizabeth to grimace, and the gown was brought behind the screen.  
Elizabeth felt her lips pull into a great smile as she looked at it.  
The gown was pure white silk and lace, with a fluffy bottom and thin-  
strapped top, covered with light silver sequins. "There now, Miss,  
your corset is all tied. Turn around and let me see how you look."

Elizabeth did as she was told, feeling slightly  
winded. "Perhaps we should tie the last string a bit more tightly…  
that bone looks a bit loose…"

Elizabeth turned white. "N-No, Margaret, please…it's fine…  
and no one will notice anyway…" She yelped when Margaret tied the  
string again. Soon all five of the maids gathered around the bride,  
helping her step into the gown, tying the sash, and slipping on her  
pearly white shoes.

"Oh blast it…I've left one of her hair pins downstairs!"  
Another of the maids, Anna May, gasped and covered her mouth with  
her hands.

"What are all of those?" Elizabeth asked, pointing to the  
pins that Anna May already had in her hands.

"The pin for the back of your hair is missing. I only have  
the pins that go around the sides and the front…"

Elizabeth sighed. "I'll fetch it…"

"No tha' won't!" Margaret shouted. "We're not ta let you out  
of the room, Miss…"

"But I'll be quick and careful!" Elizabeth begged. She had  
to leave the room just for a moment to clear her head.

"Quick n careful in those shoes?" Margaret snapped.

"I'll take them off then!" Elizabeth replied. "Please let me  
get the pin…where is it?"

Anna May looked at Margaret with a worried expression on her  
face. "I left it on the table in the front hall…"

Margaret's skin had turned just as white as Elizabeth's gown  
at the idea of letting her out of the room. "Oh all right!" Margaret  
finally agreed, stepping back a pace.

Kati helped Elizabeth unbuckle the shoes, and she dashed out  
of the room, hitching her skirts so she would not trip. She kept a  
look out for Will, just in case, and she nearly tripped and fell  
down the stairs. The pin was exactly where Anna May had told her it  
was, and she grabbed it before bolting back up the staircase. She  
just made it back to her room when Will came out of his, carrying  
his half-empty breakfast tray, desperate for a warm cup of tea to  
soothe his raw throat. He hurried downstairs and brought the tray to  
the kitchens, and jumped when the cook hollered at him for having  
done so.

"Where is the butler?" the cook snapped.

"I did not want to bother him…I am sure he is busy," Will  
stuttered, feeling his cheeks grow warm. He was so used to taking  
care of himself.

"Well…never mind." The Cook snatched the tray away and  
ordered Will back up to his room. Will slunk away, feeling extremely  
embarrassed. He nearly ran into Richard who was on his way up the  
stairs as well, and the two of them stood staring at each other in  
shock for a moment or two.

"What are you doing down here?" Richard asked in horror. "If  
anyone had seen you!"

"I just…I wanted to get a bit of air," Will admitted. "It's  
getting rather stuffy in my room…"

Richard scowled. "Well off with you. Go!" He urged Will  
forward, and the two of them hurried back into his room.

Back in Elizabeth's room, she sat painfully in her white  
whicker chair, allowing the maids to work on her hair. The pins felt  
as though they were going right into her brain. First she could  
barely breathe, and now she would be deprived of proper thought. She  
had no idea weddings could be so painful!

"There," Sarah, yet another maid, announced once they fixed  
the last curl into place.

Elizabeth looked into the mirror and gasped. "Oh!"

The maids stepped back, proud of their work, and folded  
their arms. "What do you think?" Kati asked quietly, feeling her  
throat choke up with emotion.

"Everything is beautiful," Elizabeth sobbed. "Oh I am so  
happy…"

Margaret wiped a stray tear from her own eye, "You are  
perfect, Dearie. Let us sprtiz a bit of perfume onto you."

Elizabeth smiled as she felt a few sprays of the scented  
liquid on her neck and her wrists, and she breathed in the gentle  
lavender fumes. This was one of Will's favorite scents. She  
remembered him telling her so the first time she'd used it around  
him. She hugged each of the maids, despite the pain she was in due  
to the corset, and thanked all of them for their help. They curtsied  
to her, and Margaret assigned items for each of them to carry back  
downstairs or to leave up in the room. When they were gone,  
Elizabeth gazed at the clock on the wall. Only a full hour remained  
until the coachman came to get her. Only an hour and we will  
finally be together again,' she thought, beaming. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Mr. Turner?" Richard stood outside the groom's door,  
knocking gently. He stepped back when it opened, and watched Will  
come out, completely ready for the ceremony. The blacksmith looked  
like a new man, dressed in his crisp tuxedo and fresh, white linen  
shirt. Will seemed a bit paler than usual, but the butler decided it  
was all due to nerves, and he decided not to say anything about it.  
Instead, he smiled and clasped his hands behind his back, nodding  
respectfully. "The carriage is ready for you, sir, right out front."

Will swallowed past a lump in his throat as he made sure  
that Elizabeth's ring was in his pocket. He followed the butler  
outside, feeling slightly nauseous in the humidity. Just as the  
butler had told him, the carriage was indeed waiting for him, white,  
and decorated with blue and white ribbons.

"Good morning!" the coachman greeted him cheerfully and held  
the door open. Will stepped in and sat down immediately, finding  
himself alone in the small compartment as the door was shut behind  
him. The coachman took his seat up front but Will could see him  
through the tiny window at the top."

"Good morning," Will replied, pulling his handkerchief out  
of his pocket. He hoped that his nose would cooperate during the  
wedding. The last thing he wanted was to sneeze all over Elizabeth.  
He wiped his nose, which had begun to itch again much to his  
irritation. He cursed himself for not having fetched that cup of  
tea.

"So," The coachman began as the carriage started to  
move. "You're the lucky one, eh?"

Will, in the midst of wiping his nose, looked up,  
startled. "I'm sorry?" he asked, clearing his throat, causing the  
coachman to chuckle as he steered the horses down the dirt roads of  
Port Royal.

"You're the lucky one, eh? To marry the governor's daughter?"

Will blushed. "Yes."

"Good show! Very impressive."

Will fought to roll his eyes. Was he being looked down on  
for having done this? It was not as though Elizabeth did not have a  
choice. She could have married Commodore Norrington. Will suddenly  
clasped the handkerchief to his face. "HehtCHSHHH! KehCHSHHHH!" he  
groaned.

"Catchin' a chill, are ya?" the coachman spoke again, and  
Will thought for a second to find a suitable excuse.

"No, Sir. Just a bit of road dust."

They turned a corner, and Will knew they were getting closer  
and closer to the church. He had taken this route with the Governor  
the previous day when they had gone to inspect everything. Will  
remembered feeling his heart pounding as he took his first look at  
the alter, where he and Elizabeth would stand together before the  
priest.

As the blacksmith gazed out the window, he thought back to  
when he'd first set eyes on Elizabeth for the first time. How  
beautiful she was, even as a little girl. He remembered that moment  
almost as though it were yesterday…

There were flames everywhere, but despite the fact, he was cold…so  
cold. The last thing Will remembered was his mother, lowering his  
half-conscious body onto a flat, wooden board in the water. He felt  
the ocean waves lifting the board up and down, up and down…the  
rocking was gentle. Will soon felt as though he were slipping out of  
all thought and time…

Before he knew it, he was pulled out of the water and onto a large,  
British Navy ship. "Help me!" Someone shouted, and he was placed  
flat on his back. The crew gathered around him, checking for a  
pulse, checking to see if he was still breathing. So far so good. A  
young girl, about eight years old, came running to try and see what  
was happening. The young girl was Elizabeth.

Governor Swann watched as she broke through the crowd, and motioned  
for her to come to him. "Elizabeth…I want you to accompany the boy.  
I am leaving him in your charge…take care of him."

Elizabeth nodded, watching as one of the sailors, who went by the  
name of Gibbs, helped the commodore lift the boy. They layed him on  
a box and covered him with a wool blanket. She followed, and waited  
until they had all left to continue their duties before inspecting  
the stranger. Elizabeth reached out her hand towards him, nearly  
shrieking when his eyes snapped open, and he shot up, grabbing her  
wrist.

"It's okay," Elizabeth soothed, allowing him to continue holding  
her. "I am Elizabeth Swann."

"W-W-Will Turner," Will gulped between gasps of air. Then he fainted  
again, his head smacking against the wood.

Elizabeth smiled fondly at him. "I am watching after you, Will…"

Will smiled to himself at the memory as he gazed out the window,  
watching the passing scenery. He always felt a longing to be out at  
sea…the town sometimes seemed to close in on him…so much that he  
felt as though he were drowning. He thought about Elizabeth's  
suggestion for a honeymoon sailing on the Black Pearl, and it seemed  
like such a far fetched idea. Only by some stroke of pure luck would  
Jack return now, and Will highly doubted that he would. After all,  
Jack would be attacked by the entire Port Royal Navy if he even set  
foot there. It was just a fool's hope.

Will was so involved in his daydreams, that he did not notice when  
the carriage pulled up to the front of the church. He was only  
pushed back into reality when the coachman opened his door to let  
him out. "We've arrived, Mr. Turner…"

Will blinked. "What? Oh…" he blushed. "Sorry…" He stepped down from  
the carriage, shaking the coachman's hand and thanking him, before  
making his way towards the marble steps. The governor and the  
commodore were there already, waiting for him to arrive. They were  
each dressed in crisp breeches with white stockings, white linen  
shirts, and navy blue and white overcoats. Commodore Norrington's  
waistcoat was covered with metals he had received over the years.  
Each were also wearing large hats that matched the color of their  
coats, only the governor's hat had a large, white feather sticking  
out of it.

"Good afternoon," Governor Swann greeted him cheerfully. "Commodore  
Norrington will be here to show you the ropes, while I go to fetch  
your lovely bride." He glanced Will up and down. "You look like a  
new man, Mr. Turner…" Commodore Norrington grimaced, clenching his  
hands into fists at his sides.

Will beamed, blushing a little. "Thank you, Sir."

Governor Swann nodded, before turning back to Commodore Norrington,  
who immediately relaxed somewhat. "You know what to do then? I  
should not be gone for more than a half an hour at least, if my dear  
daughter is quick in pace." He told the Commdore with a chuckle.

Commodore Norrington forced a horribly fake smile. "I have a  
complete handle on everything, Governor. Go on then…Mr. Turner, come  
with me."

Will took a deep breath and followed Commodore Norrington through  
the double, oak doors.

Elizabeth, meanwhile, sat in the front hall, her hands folded  
tightly in her lap. Her father was to arrive any moment to escort  
her to the church. Kati stood beside the chair, trying to preoccupy  
Elizabeth with small talk, to prevent further nervousness. However,  
it was not helping very well. Her stomach, already uncomfortably  
restricted by the posture corset, was filled with butterflies. She  
had never gone so long without seeing Will, and feared she would  
attack him with kisses once they met up again.

"So when I was cleaning in the parlor the other day, I heard this  
strange noise in the kitchen…"

Elizabeth glanced up at the maid, feeling slightly lightheaded from  
lack of oxygen. "Kati…could you…I do not mean to be rude of course,  
but could you please be quiet for a few minutes?"

Kati blushed. "I'm sorry, Miss. I tend to talk too much, I know…"

Elizabeth smiled. "I know you were only trying to help…"

Kati peered out the window, and her eyes widened. "Your father is  
coming…quickly, strike up and be ready!"

Elizabeth stood, her heart racing a million miles a minute. When the  
door to the house opened, if she could have sunk through a hole in  
the ground, Elizabeth would have done just that. Her father walked  
in, and his eyes lit up at the sight of his daughter. "Elizabeth!  
You look beautiful, my dear!" He planted a small kiss on her  
cheek. "Thank you, Kati, and tell the other maids thank you as well  
for all of the work they did."

Kati curtsied. "I will, sir." She grinned at Elizabeth and waved,  
once father and daughter linked arms and made their way out to the  
carriage.

"Is Will all right, father?" Elizabeth asked, once she and her dress  
were completely inside and the doors shut.

"Well, he looked perfectly fine to me, Elizabeth…I am sure he is  
bursting with nerves just as you are."

Elizabeth squeezed her paper fan that she had brought along, and  
began fanning herself with it. "I've been having nightmares about  
this day for a week it seems," she admitted. "Fearing that I'd do  
something completely ridiculous and make a fool out of myself in  
front of everyone…"

The Governor chuckled. "You will be fine. Will and I will be beside  
you the entire time to make sure nothing out of the ordinary occurs."

Elizabeth smiled. "Father…"

He looked at her.

"Thank you."

Governor Swann cocked his head to one side. "For what, Dearest?"

"For understanding…for accepting my decision…"

He touched her cheek tenderly. "I only want you to be happy,  
Elizabeth. That is my top priority. I have complete confidence in  
Mr. Turner, and know that he will take good care of you…I have no  
worries about that."

Elizabeth would have wrapped her arms around her father in a tight  
hug, but even leaning over half an inch caused her ribs to protest  
in spasms of pain. Quickly, she straightened up again, continuing to  
fan her face.

The carriage bounced along the uneven dirt roads of Port Royal,  
causing Elizabeth to grimace. The thick, whale bone kept digging  
into her ribs with each jolt. Governor Swann glanced at his  
daughter, his face filling with concern. "Dearest…you look a bit  
pale. Are you all right?"

Elizabeth fought to roll her eyes, and nodded, blowing out her  
breath. She was about to say something in reply, when they finally  
pulled up in front of the church. Elizabeth immediately felt her  
heart flutter…within minutes she would be in Will's arms again.

Elizabeth took her father's arm once her door opened, and took a  
great, deep breath. Here we go,' she thought, holding her head high  
as they made their way towards the doors.

Had either of Elizabeth or her father looked towards the water, they  
would have noticed something unusual. A large vessel, with black and  
gray sails tattered with time and with the sign of a skull and  
crossbones flying from the mast was slowly coming into view. A tall,  
gauntly fellow stood at the large, oak wheel, the ocean breeze  
blowing through his long, black hair, braided and partially strung  
with colorful beads. This man would have been very unwelcome had  
anyone noticed him, for he was not your average captain, and this  
was not your average ship. He was Captain Jack Sparrow, a famous cut-  
throat pirate, that had caused complete chaos in the town months  
before. The ship he sailed, was known as the Black Pearl'. Jack  
shouted orders to his crew, shielding his eyes with one hand. Port  
Royal's harbor was approaching quickly. He twirled his black  
mustache with his index fingers, his mascara-lined eyes flashing  
with amusement.

It had not been his original idea to come to Port Royal at all, in  
fact. Not after all that had occurred recently. Yet, he'd happened  
to stumble upon a navy ship, making its way towards the tiny costal  
town. Several cannon ball shots and sword thrusts later, Jack and a  
few members of his crew had stolen aboard the ship, and Jack had  
kidnapped it's captain. Jack found out that the ship had been on its  
way to a very important occasion, and he threatened the captain on  
pain of death, to tell him exactly what this occasion' was.

"T-t-the g-governor's d-daughter i-is g-getting m-married," the  
victim whimpered, choking a little as Jack pressed the tip of his  
gleaming silver sword against his throat.

"Who is she marrying, mate? Just give me the name of the lucky man  
and I'll let ye go. Savvy?"

"T-t-the town blacksmith…W-Will Turner," The captain stuttered  
again, his eyes filled with terror.

Jack let go of his victim', dropping his sword in amazement. He  
knew Will and Elizabeth loved each other, but he had no idea Will  
would take it this far. After all, the blacksmith had pirate's  
blood, and pirates rarely enjoyed the prospect of settling down'  
anywhere. Still…the boy was only half-pirate…

"Ye can go," Jack grunted, shoving the captain away, before ordering  
Gibbs and Cotton, who had joined him, back to the Black Pearl. "To  
Port Royal we go then," he announced, startling Anamaria, who was  
working with the sails.

"Are you mad? The navy will kill you!"

Jack stretched his neck from side to side, and gave her a huge grin,  
showing off several shiny golden teeth. "How many times do I have to  
tell you…" he began, "No one kills Captain Jack Sparrow."

Anamaria rolled her eyes, and nodded, and Jack turned a hard left  
away from the wreckage of the navy ship, towards Port Royal.

Will stood by the alter, watching the front doors of the church  
anxiously. He had a bit of a headache now, from the overwhelming  
scent of the flowers mixed with his slight cold. His nose was also  
starting to run and tickle again, much to his disgust. Will tried  
his best to straighten up and look as healthy as possible, when he  
heard the traditional wedding music start to play on the old organ.

The doors to the church opened at last, and all three hundred heads  
turned in the pews. The governor entered with Elizabeth on his arm.  
Will would not have been surprised if his face had turned bright red  
at that moment—Elizabeth looked absolutely breath taking. She walked  
down the isle stiffly, smiling as she met Will's eyes, which were  
slowly filling with tears of pure happiness.

Elizabeth at last walked up to Will, so they were barely standing an  
inch apart. He gazed at her lovingly as the governor put their hands  
together, and then gave his daughter a gentle kiss on her lips  
before he moved off to the side. The priest smiled at them before  
opening his bible to begin the sermon.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God  
to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is  
an honorable estate, instituted of God in Paradise, and into which  
holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined."

Elizabeth could not take her eyes off of Will's. How she longed to  
caress his forehead gently with her fingertips, to feel his wavy,  
smooth dark hair again…

"Therefore if any man can show any just cause, why they may not  
lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter  
for ever hold his peace…"

Jack arrived at the church, pondering how to get inside without  
being seen. After all, as it was the wedding of the Governor's  
daughter, guards were stationed on either side of the front door for  
protection. He folded his arms across his chest, chewing on his  
lower lip in concentration. He could hear the priest's loud voice  
coming through an open window near the roof…

Suddenly, Jack had an idea… the window! He would climb through the  
open window, and sneak down the rafters, silent as a church mouse.  
Grunting, Jack hurried down the pathway, kicking up clouds of dust  
as he did so. He always carried a long rope with a metallic claw  
structure tied to the end, in case he ever had to climb to a great  
height. It was a very good tool, useful in looting unsuspecting  
ships. Jack pulled the rope out of his tiny bag that he had slung  
over one arm. He whirled the rope around a bit like a lasso, before  
aiming it for the window. It caught hold perfectly along the sill,  
and he gave it a few tugs to make sure it was tight enough to be  
fairly safe.

"I require and charge you both, as ye will answer at the dreadful  
day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed,  
that if either of you know any impediment, why ye may not be  
lawfully joined together in Matrimony, that ye confess it. For ye be  
well assured, that so many as be coupled together otherwise than  
God's Word doth allow are not joined together by God; neither is  
their Matrimony lawful…"

Jack rolled his eyes as he got his footing on the wall, and began to  
climb towards his destination.

Meanwhile, the priest had at last progressed to the wedding vows. He  
turned to Will. "Wilt the have this Woman to be thy wedded wife, to  
live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony?  
Wilt the love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and  
in health; and forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long  
as ye both shall live?"

Will turned to Elizabeth, who gave his hands an encouraging squeeze,  
and he beamed. "I will." Elizabeth ring her father had given to her,  
and placed it on Will's finger.

The priest gave a nod, and then turned to Elizabeth. "Wilt the have  
this Man to be thy wedded husband, to live together after God's  
ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt the love him,  
comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, and  
forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both  
shall live?"

Elizabeth grinned. "I will."

Will took a deep breath…it was time. He pulled the tiny box out of  
his trouser pocket, and opened it, revealing the specially crafted  
metal. Elizabeth gasped as he took her hand gently, sliding it onto  
her finger.

Jack reached the window at last, panting from lack of oxygen, and  
wiping his sweaty brow.

"….Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder. Then  
shall the Minister speak unto the people. Forasmuch as William…and  
Elizabeth have consented together in holy wedlock, and have  
witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have  
given and pledged their troth each to the other, and have declared  
the same by giving and receiving of a Ring, and by joining of hands;  
I pronounce therefore that they be Man and Wife together, in the  
Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."  
The priest made the sign of a cross over the newly wed couple.  
Elizabeth gazed at her ring, and stared at Will, who nodded softly.

Jack watched them from the window, quietly pulling the rope in from  
outside, and hooked it very carefully to one of the rafters on the  
ceiling the ceiling… 

"You may now kiss the bride…" 

Will and Elizabeth barely touched lips, when they heard a  
loud WHOOSH' and Elizabeth disappeared. Will stared as he saw an  
all too familiar figure swooping through the air, almost like a  
great bird, carrying Elizabeth in one arm. Once she gathered enough  
courage to turn her head, she gasped. "Jack!" The chandelier creaked  
dangerously under their weight, and Elizabeth felt her heart nearly  
stop in mid-beat when she saw how high up they were. 

"G'day, love…" He leapt to the floor in front of the alter,  
receiving gasps of surprise. Governor Swann and Commodore Norrington  
were watching him with their eyes flashing in anger, as Jack planted  
a sloppy, wet kiss on Elizabeth's lips. She pulled away furiously,  
smacking him hard across the face. Will protectively put his arms  
around his new wife, watching as Jack blinked.

"I don't think I deserved that," he grumbled. 

"YES YOU DID!" the crowd shouted in unison. Some of the women were  
still gaping up a the rafter, where Jack's rope still swung over  
their heads.. It cast great shadows on the church floor, mixed with  
the sunlight that streamed through the stained glass windows.  
Jack gave a dramatic bow, releasing Elizabeth, and turning to Will. 

He gave the young blacksmith a firm shake of the hand and a pat on  
the back. "Congratulations, Mate." Then he grabbed Elizabeth around  
the waist and dipped her backwards, planting another messy kiss on  
her lips. With a wink, he leapt onto the back of one of the pews,  
and grabbed hold of the rope, still dangling from the chandelier.

"I'll meet ye all for the reception!" He swung away, but  
only weakly bobbed back and forth above the isle. He looked up,  
blushing a little, before glancing over his shoulder. "Could…could  
someone please give me a little push…" 

Will nodded. "Gladly!" He stormed down the steps, despite  
Elizabeth's protests, and shoved Jack so roughly, that the pirate  
lost contact with the rope and hit the ground with a thud.

"Not quite what I meant, boy…"

Will let out a haughty laugh, and went back over to Elizabeth,  
touching her shoulders. "Are you all right?" He brushed a strand of  
hair away from her eyes. She nodded, watching as Jack struggled to  
stand up again, finding the tip of a bayonet at his nose. Jack  
raised an eyebrow, and realized that the bayonet was attached to the  
hand of one of the navy officers in the third row. He pushed the  
bayonet away with a roll of his eyes. "Now really, Mate, don't ye  
think you're overreactin'…"

"You're a pirate," the officer growled.

Jack snorted. "How long did it take you to figure that out, Boy?"  
The bayonet went up again. "Put that thing away, Mate. Put it…" he  
snatched it. "Now. I'm going to walk out of ere quietly, and ye all  
can go back to whatever it was that ye were doin'…"

Will raised an eyebrow with suspicion. Jack never walked quietly'  
out of anywhere. He watched as Jack turned to the priest, wiggling  
his ring-covered fingers. "Carry on…" He grabbed hold of the rope  
once again, and with one great leap, swung over the crowd, flying  
off of it right in front of the door, and hurried out.

The church became an uproar of voices and it took more than a few  
moments for everyone to calm down. The governor ordered the  
commodore to send his men after the pirate as soon as Will and  
Elizabeth properly kissed. "We gave him a second chance before,"  
Governor Swann snarled, "but this time, the man has gone too far."

Will and Elizabeth turned back to the priest, who cleared his  
throat, and nodded. "You may now kiss the bride."

Will took Elizabeth's head in his hands, and kissed her lips  
passionately. He could not get enough of her…the kiss lasted a good  
minute, and when they parted, Elizabeth took his arm. Everyone began  
clapping and whistling, and hats were thrown in the air. The priest  
watched as the new husband and wife made their way down the isle  
again, and out back to where the reception would be held.

Jack sat at one of the tables, with a bottle of rum in his hand that  
he had somehow found amongst the refreshments, and took a great swig  
of it. "Jack…" Elizabeth hitched her skirts and rushed over to  
him. "What are you doing here? How did you find out about the  
wedding?"

Jack raised his arms in the air. "I'll tell the two of ya all about  
it later, but right now, we have to make haste…"

"What?" Will asked, stunned. "Where are we…"

Jack snapped his fingers and ordered the two of them to start  
running. "Where do ye think?" he asked.

"The Black Pearl?" Elizabeth gasped, as Will took her hand. The  
church doors opened, revealing the Port Royal Navy, armed and ready  
to kill. Jack shoved both of them forward, and they ran as fast as  
they could towards the direction of the docks. Jack looked over his  
shoulder, watching as they came closer and closer, their shouts  
deafening, but he knew they wouldn't shoot so long as Will and  
Elizabeth were alongside him. He looked around for items that he  
could use as a distraction. A barrel sat at the edge of the pathway  
leading towards the dock, and he knocked it over, giving it a great  
roll towards the officers. It knocked several of them down like  
bowling pins, and Jack watched the governor nearly trip over the  
half-conscious bodies.

"He's getting away!" Commodore Norrington roared. "Faster!"

The crew of the Black Pearl was watching the chase over the side of  
the ship, staring as Will and Elizabeth came up to it. "Lower the  
ramp, quickly!" Will shouted, and Anamaria gave the chain a great  
pull. With a loud BANG, the wooden ramp hit the ground, and they  
rushed aboard.

"A musket's right there!" Gibbs shouted, pointing to the gun lying  
on the ground. Will watched as Cotton snatched it up, and began  
firing at the crowd, who had seized Jack by the arms. The shots hit  
the men who held him, knocking them backwards, and Jack bolted for  
the ramp to pull it aboard. Cotton's parrot shrieked "Wind in the  
sails! Wind in the sails!" fluttering its wings angrily. The ramp  
was pulled up just in time, and with Will and Elizabeth's help, the  
ropes were cut and the Pearl began to move away from the dock.

"Bye!" Elizabeth waved her handkerchief over the side of the ship at  
her father, who was now standing at the edge of the dock, horrified.

"ELIZABETH!" He cried, watching the Black Pearl sail away towards  
the horizon. "Get your men out on ships right away!" Governor Swann  
ordered. "No daughter of mine is going to be kidnapped by a pirate  
again…" He snapped his fingers, and ordered Commodore Norrington to  
send his ships after the Black Pearl immediately. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

At last, the Port Royal harbor disappeared from view. Jack  
and his crew burst into laughter, ceremoniously cracking open a fresh  
bottle of rum against the rail. Will and Elizabeth stood off to the  
side, unable to stop grinning. Already, they felt as though they had  
returned home, and ducked when Jack sprayed a bit of the drink over  
them. Following this, he poured a good bit into his mouth, and sent  
the rest around to the others. Will refused when the bottle came to  
him, but he stared when Elizabeth accepted it and took a large swig.  
Everyone cheered her on, and Anamaria embraced her in a tight  
hug. "Congratulations!" she cried happily.

Will sniffled a bit, wiping his nose with the corner of his  
sleeve. He walked over to Jack, who had returned to the wheel during  
the commotion. "You never cease to amaze me, Jack." Will admitted,  
folding his arms and shivering slightly against the chilly ocean  
breeze.

Jack shrugged. "All in a day's work, mate." He glanced at the  
blacksmith, with an expression of confusion on his face. "So why'd  
you do it?"

Will stared. "Do what?"

Jack pointed to Elizabeth who now stood giggling and talking  
with Gibbs, meanwhile grimacing as Anamaria pulled the nineteen pins  
out of Elizabeth's hair. "Marry the girl!"

Will sighed, resting his strong hand against the wooden rail.  
He had a feeling this question would come up. "Because I love her,  
Jack." Jack cringed. Love was not a word he often used in his  
vocabulary. It was something he had no desire to familiarize himself  
with.Elizabeth soon hurried over to rejoin her husband, and the usual  
color returned to her cheeks. "Isn't this incredible, Will? It's like  
a dream come true!" she breathed. Will stroked the ends of her hair,  
which were once more hanging loosely at her shoulders.

Jack watched them with a raised eyebrow. "Must ye two do that  
in my presence?" he snarled, though he was half-jesting.

Will chuckled. "Get used to it," he warned.

"So where are we going?" Elizabeth asked curiously, breathing  
in the calm, salt air. She rested her head on Will's shoulder,  
grateful to be with him again at last. The previous night and that  
morning had been unbearable, and she could never get his face out of  
her head. He kissed her cheek, listening to the seagulls cawing  
overhead.

"Wherever the wind takes us." Jack replied thoughtfully. It  
was good to have the young blacksmith and the girl on board again,  
even if they were inexperienced.

Will sniffled again, groaning in annoyance as he reached into  
his trouser pocket for his handkerchief. Jack and Elizabeth both  
jumped when he gave his nose a strong blow.

"Are you all right, Will?" Elizabeth asked, reaching up to  
feel his forehead with the back of her hand. Will pulled away, not  
wanting to show signs of weakness in front of the pirates.

Jack watched them with a smirk. "Bloody land lover…go an'  
relax a bit…the crew an' I have a handle on things." He waved his  
hand at them, signaling them to take a seat anywhere that was  
available. Will took Elizabeth's hand and lead her over to a pile of  
boxes that lay in the center of the deck, and he sat down on one,  
allowing her to perch on his lap.

"Your hands are cold," Elizabeth whispered, rubbing them  
briskly, before touching them to her lips in a soft kiss. Will  
watched her fondly, feeling the ship lift over a rather large swell.

"Whoa!" Elizabeth nearly fell off of his lap, and he caught  
her, chuckling.

"Are you all right?"

She grinned. "Yes." She glanced down at the ground. "Will,  
what will become of us…what are we going to do?"

Will cocked his head to one side. "What do you mean?" He  
straightened the hem of her gown, resting his hands alongside her  
waist, feeling the tough corset underneath.

"When we return to Port Royal…we have no where to go, and I  
refuse to live in my Father's home all of my life." She brushed a  
strand of hair away from his eyes, caressing his cheek. Jack was  
having a hard time trying not to look at them, and the sight made him  
want to jump overboard.

"I haven't given it much thought," Will admitted,  
frowning. "Well, my thought was that we could stay in your father's  
mansion or in my shop, but I wanted to talk things over with you  
first. Decisions are made between the two of us now."

"Well, we'll talk about it later, then." She replied, kissing  
his cheek.

Anamaria came over to the two of them, and clucked her  
tongue. "You're your father's son, Will." She sat down on one of the  
boxes above them, steadying herself with her hands. Will looked up.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No plans. I had a feeling you didn't know what you were  
going to do once we took you both back to port."

Will scowled. "Well forgive me, Anamaria, but it's been a  
very hectic couple of weeks!" He cleared his throat, watching as Mr.  
Cotton's colorful parrot swooped down and perched itself on top of  
Jack's hat. Elizabeth clasped a hand over her mouth, watching as Jack  
raised his eyes at the sound of the fluttering wings.

"Bloody pigeon!" he hollered, waving his arms wildly to get  
the parrot off of him.

"Awwwk! Shiver me timbers! Shiver me timbers!" the bird  
cried, nipping Jack rather hard on the ear.

"Arrrr!" Jack grasped the parrot around the middle, and  
glared at it through narrowed eyes. "Mr. Cotton!"

The mute sailor stopped what he was doing, and turned around.  
Jack motioned for the man to come to him. "C'mere."

Gibbs, who still held one of the ropes, watched as Mr. Cotton  
timidly made his way towards the Captain, looking rather  
nervous. "Closer, mate." Jack snarled.

Mr. Cotton did as he was told, trying to stand up as straight  
as he could, attempting to look fairly brave. Everyone was watching  
and holding their breaths, wondering what Jack was going to do. Jack  
gently placed the parrot onto Mr. Cotton's hat, and patted the man's  
shoulder. Anamaria was fighting back giggles as Jack slowly turned  
away. Just as Mr. Cotton was about to walk back to his post, he  
whirled around again.

"NEVER LET THAT BLOODY BIRD NEAR ME AGAIN, SAVVY!!!" Jack  
yelled, throwing his hat on the ground and stomping on it.

"Awwwwk! Wind in the sails!" the parrot squawked again,  
fluttering its wings.

Jack picked his rather smashed hat up and put it back on his  
head, turning away to grip the wheel. Mr. Cotton walked back to his  
post, raising his eyes at Will and Elizabeth, who were staring at  
Jack, open-mouthed. Will eventually closed his mouth, but the  
expression on his face changed rather rapidly, and Elizabeth heard  
him gasp. "Will?" She looked over her shoulder, her eyebrows  
raised. "Are you all r…"

"Heh…eh…" Will fumbled in his trouser pocket for his handkerchief  
again, and clasped it to his face. "HehSHIIISH! HetCHIIISH!" he  
sneezed violently twice, causing every member of Jack's crew to stop  
what they were doing immediately and turn to him. Jack blinked as  
Will continued to hold the handkerchief against his nose, as though  
expecting more to come.

"Bless," Elizabeth sighed after Will blew his nose a few moments  
later.

"Catchin' a chill?" Gibbs asked, his voice sounding rather  
concerned. Will shook his head, coughing slightly.

"No, I just…I j…." The handkerchief went back into place, and  
Jack turned away from the wheel, folding his arms just as Elizabeth  
had done earlier. "ISHHHISHHH! HeTCHUUUSH!"

"Goodness! Bless you!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Thank—thank you…ISHHHUUUSH! HESHHHUUH!" Will groaned,  
blowing his nose yet again. Elizabeth pulled Will into a hug, kissing  
the top of his head softly.

"Not sick, eh?" Jack shouted with a smirk.

Will sniffled and finished wiping his nose with his  
handkerchief, looking up at the pirate. "Ib fide…" he insisted,  
irritated. Why did his sniffles have to work up at the worst possible  
times? The last thing he wanted was to show any signs of weakness in  
front of the crew.

Elizabeth frowned. "Will…"

Will gave her a warning look, before stuffing the piece of  
square linen cloth back into his pocket. Elizabeth sighed, and stood  
up, walking over to the rail. She leaned on it, gazing out at the  
ocean, feeling the icy mist dampen her cheeks. Will rubbed his nose  
again and glared at the others who were still watching him curiously.  
Almost instantly they returned back to their duties, a few whistling  
innocently as they worked the sails. "Elizabeth?" Will grimaced as  
he stood up also, and he went over to the rail to join her. "I'm  
sorry. I didn't mean to…" he started, but she touched his lips with  
the tips of her fingers and then kissed him.

"Arrrrrr!" Jack growled, hiding his face with his hat so that  
he would not have to see what was going on in front of him. "I don't  
know how I'm going ta last with you two…" he grunted in annoyance.

Will touched Elizabeth's arm. "Would you like to go down  
below decks so we can have some privacy?" he asked, glancing at Jack  
who had removed the hat but was still refusing to look at them.

"Sounds like a wonderful idea," Elizabeth replied. "Plus, you  
can warm up a bit. Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"We're going down below."

"Behave," Jack warned, and Will rolled his eyes with a snort  
as he led Elizabeth through the trap door that led to the cabins  
under the ship. As soon as they were alone, Will lifted Elizabeth  
into his arms and carried her over to one of the empty bunks, setting  
her down onto it.

"I never did get to carry you away," he whispered, lying down  
beside her. Elizabeth massaged his hand, gazing at the comforter. "So  
I am making up for it." He took her hand and kissed it tenderly,  
holding it against his cheek. "I missed you yesterday," he added,  
making her smile again.

"I missed you too, Will. More than you can ever imagine."

Will laughed. "Come here." He pulled Elizabeth close, and  
gently began to pull down the sleeves of her gown, revealing her bare  
shoulders. Elizabeth felt her cheeks burning as he did this.

"Will? Do you really think we should be doing this now?" she  
whispered. "What if one of the others walks in on us?"

"Shhhh." He managed to pull her gown halfway down, before he  
began to kiss her neck. Elizabeth felt her heart flutter at the feel  
of Will's lips against her skin. She lifted his chin and kissed his  
forehead, watching as he closed his eyes, savoring every moment. Her  
lips moved from his forehead, down to the tip of his nose, and then  
she nestled her forehead against his partially-bare chest.

"Oh ow…" she gasped, nearly having forgotten about her  
corset, but was rudely reminded of it when it dug into her ribs.

"What?" he asked softly into her ear.

"This corset…I forgot I had it on…" she grimaced, struggling  
to sit up again.

Will smiled, as he pulled her gown down the rest of the way,  
revealing the whalebone structure. Elizabeth hissed as he started to  
untie the corset strings, and sighed with relief once he pulled it  
over her head. "Ouch," she sobbed. He reached his arm around and  
caressed her forehead again, before just allowing her to lean against  
him. The two of them lay still in bed, just gazing into each other's  
eyes. Will was about to kiss her again, when his nose wrinkled up.  
Elizabeth smiled softly.

Just let them come," she encouraged. "It's just us."

Will sat up quickly, covering his mouth with his  
hands. "HeSHUUSh! ISHUUUU! Heh…Ih…CHUSSSHHH!" Will sniffled wetly,  
clearing his throat as Elizabeth rubbed his back in gentle circles.

"God bless," she told him thoughtfully.

"Thank you." Will croaked.

"When did you start sneezing like this?" Elizabeth asked,  
wrapping the large quilt around Will, and massaging his shoulders.

"This morning."

Elizabeth clucked her tongue. "Somehow I'm not surprised,  
sweetheart. A lot has happened, and you probably just overworked  
yourself." She kissed his cheek. "Do you feel any better?"

Will leaned his forehead against her chest, heaving a sigh.

Suddenly, the trap door opened, and the couple yelped in  
surprise, quickly covering themselves with whatever they could find.  
Jack came down the steps, and peeked around the corner. "Sorry Mates,  
but I'm just comin' down ta fetch another bottle o' rum…" he crossed  
the room into the galley. Will and Elizabeth could hear bottles  
clanking together as he rummaged around, and then watched as he came  
back out, crossing towards the stairs again. He made to start  
climbing, but he leaned backwards, his head halfway tilted. "I  
s'ppose this is where yeh'll be sleepin' then?"

Will turned to Elizabeth with a small smile, and she  
nodded. "That's okay, isn't it?" she asked hopefully.

Jack shrugged, popping the cork. "Whatever ye want." He  
slurred after taking a large gulp of the drink. "Oh, and before I  
forget…there are some extra clothes for ya in that armoire over  
ther." He nodded to the dresser along the far wall. "G'night," he  
added, before clambering back up to the deck. When Will and Elizabeth  
heard the trapdoor shut again, they sniggered and glanced back at  
each other, shaking their heads. Elizabeth then began to laugh,  
bunching a bit of the quilt in her hands. Will watched as she  
continued laughing so hard that tears nearly flowed from her eyes.

"Elizabeth?" he asked curiously. "Are you all right?"

She leaned against his shoulder, still giggling. "I just  
realized something," she began, pulling a strand of his hair behind  
his ear.

"What's that?"

"We are home."

Will smiled, taking her cheeks in his hands before planting  
yet another tender kiss on her lips, and pulling her back down to the  
mattress with him.

Meanwhile, Jack stood at the wheel, singing quietly to  
himself. "Put im in the old with a barrel of porter…put im in  
the old with a barrel of porter…" He did not notice Anamaria walking  
towards him, still grasping a mug of rum by the handle. Jack only  
realized her presence when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders,  
nearly spilling half of her drink down his shirt.

Jack cried out and whirled around, nearly falling backwards. "What  
the bloody el are ye doin'?" he snapped, placing one hand over his  
heart.

"I wubbles you, boo boo," she cooed, stroking the ends of his braids.  
Jack stared at her as though she'd gone completely mad. He swaggered  
backwards, nearly knocking her off-balance.

"What language is that?" he asked. "An' what the el happened to you…  
you stay away!" he shrieked as she attempted to climb onto him  
again. "No more rum for you!" Jack snatched the mug out of her hands  
and threw it overboard, before pushing her off of him.

"Swiggly wobble bits…" she pinched his cheeks, attempting to kiss  
him.

Jack scowled. "Try it again, Missy, and you'll be hangin' by your  
ankles from the mast!" he snapped. Anamaria went to kiss him again,  
but the drink took over, and she fainted in a heap at his feet. Gibbs  
hurried over, stopping short of Anamaria's unconscious figure.

"Uh…yeah…I was comin' to warn ya abou' her…"

"How much did she have exactly?" Jack asked, putting the pistol away.

"Lost track after the third," Gibbs chortled. "What can I say…she's  
definitely one of us, and that's no mistake."

Jack sniggered. "She just needs to hold er liquor." He sniggered as  
he watched Duncan come and take Anamaria away. When he was gone, Jack  
straightened his hat and his clothes, before going to watch the  
wheel.

"So…this Will Turner…do you think he's gonna make it?" Gibbs asked  
after a few moments of silence.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"As a pirate."

"He has the spirit, no doubt about that," Jack chuckled, "And no  
matter how much he wants to deny it. But with a bit of trainin' and I  
think hell live up to old' Bootstrap Bill just' fine."

Gibbs grinned and clasped Jack on the shoulder, and headed back to  
his post. Jack watched Gibbs leave, and returned his gaze to the  
horizon, frowning slightly. What have I gotten myself into?' he  
thought to himself. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Will and Elizabeth slept for a good part of the afternoon  
and did not wake until long into the evening hours. They could hear  
the pirates hollering to each other on the main deck, every so often  
breaking into song. Will's nose woke him first, when he felt an  
almost unbearable tickle. Quickly, he reached under his pillow and  
pulled out one of the handkerchiefs Elizabeth had stashed there for  
him.

"KetCHUUSH! HutCHSHHH!" he sneezed forcefully into the  
fabric, sniffling a bit afterwards.

Elizabeth opened one eye and slowly lifted her head,  
yawning. "Bless you." She mumbled, rubbing her hands over her face.

"Thank you." Will whispered, coughing into his fist. He felt  
worse than he had at their wedding, but he tried to hide it by  
sitting as straight as possible. "Did you rest well? I'm sorry I  
woke…eh…ATCHHUHH!" he sneezed once again, his body lurching forward.  
Elizabeth frowned, resting the palm of her hand against his  
forehead, checking for a fever.

"Hmmm," she thought out loud. "You feel a bit warm." She  
kissed his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"It seems like a dream, doesn't it?" Will asked, as  
Elizabeth moved her kisses down his neck.

"What does?" she asked, burying her nose against his bare  
chest.

"The fact that our wedding was merely eight hours ago, and that  
we're once again on the Black Pearl."

Elizabeth ran her fingers through his hair, pure love in her  
eyes. "I know. But if it is a dream, I for one would never want to  
wake from it." The two of them jumped when they heard a loud squawk  
and a THUD from above.

"I'm going to get that bloody parrot if it's the last thing I do!"  
Jack's voice shouted over the sloshing of the waves against the  
sides of the ship. "Stupid pigeon!" They heard another THUMP, and  
glanced at each other with amusement. Will snorted, shaking his  
head.

"Perhaps we'd better get dressed and see if he needs help." He  
cringed at his pounding headache as he slid out of bed and trooped  
over to the armoire. He rummaged through the drawers, searching for  
clothes. "You would not mind wearing a man's clothing, would you  
love?" he asked, pulling out a pair of breeches and a cotton shirt.

Elizabeth laughed. "Not at all, Mr. Turner. They're more comfortable  
than this wretched wedding dress and corset anyway. Let me be a  
real pirate." She winked. He beamed, tossing her an outfit.

"I am reminded once again of why I love you so much." He coughed  
again, glancing upward. "I guess Jack's given up on Mr. Cotton's  
parrot. Unless he's caught him and it'll be tonight's dinner. I  
don't hear him at the mom..eh…AHTCHUUH! Blast! Excuse me." Will  
groaned

"God bless again. How are you feeling? I don't want you to go up on  
deck if you are ill. You need to rest."

Will shook his head. "I'll be all right. Don't worry about me." He  
rubbed his nose with the hanky, and then began to put on his  
garments. It was still awkward, the process of helping one another  
with dressing.

"I do worry about you, sweetheart," Elizabeth admitted as Will  
buttoned his shirt for her. "You tend to catch sniffles when you're  
stressed. And we've been through a lot in the past couple of weeks."

Will smiled. "Let us enjoy ourselves and not worry for once, eh?  
This is our honeymoon after all, and I want it to be worth  
remembering, aye?" He touched her cheek, pulling a loose strand of  
her hair behind her ear.

Elizabeth nodded in agreement. "Aye!" she shouted, making him laugh.  
Eventually they made their way through the trapdoor, greeted by the  
cool evening breeze. It was nearly dark, and the first glittering  
stars appeared in the sky. Jack and the crew sat on boxes when they  
found them, drinking from either mugs or flasks of rum and chatting.  
Jack turned and noticed them just as he took a swig from his bottle.

"We were wonderin' when you'd join us," he slurred.

"Sleep well?" asked Anamaria kindly.

Will nodded. "I believe so. What are you all up to?"

Mr. Gibbs hopped down from his perch, offering it to Elizabeth. "Go  
on," Will encouraged, kissing her temple. She squeezed his hand  
before sitting down, accepting Gibb's whisky flask. She took a gulp,  
wincing as the drink burned her throat a little.

"What's it look like, mmm?" Jack answered, offering Will a swig.

"No, thank you." Will refused, shaking his head wearily. For some  
reason, he never found that he could stomach alcohol. In fact, the  
last time he had a glass of wine, he became very ill, and nearly  
passed away from a high fever. He shuddered at the memory. But he  
did not dare tell this to the pirates.

"What…" Jack blinked.

"No," Will repeated, "Thank you."

Elizabeth smiled, reaching out her arms for him to sit with her.  
Jack cocked his head to one side as Will walked over and Elizabeth  
stood. Will sat, and she perched on his lap, leaning against his  
chest.

"You two make me sick," the captain grunted, rolling his eyes in  
disgust.

Anamaria glared at him. "What did you expect from a couple who's  
just married?" She put her hat on Elizabeth's head, and folded her  
arms, grinning proudly. "There. Now you're a real pirate."

Will's breath hitched again suddenly, and everyone looked at him,  
concerned. "Huh…eh…"

Elizabeth closed her eyes, waiting for it.

"HuhITCHHHUH! Eh…ETCHHUH!" Will blushed furiously when he finished.

"Bless you." Elizabeth sighed.

"Gettin' sick are ya?" Jack asked.

"No," Will insisted, sniffling wetly. His nose was tickling madly  
still, and he wiggled it desperately.

"Don't feel self-conscious, love. Sneeze if you must," Elizabeth  
insisted, craning her neck to give him a sympathetic smile.

"B-but I d-don't eh…want to…huh-ETCHHUH! ETCHUUH! ITSHHHUH!  
CHSHHHUH! HuhESHHH!" Will's body lurched forward again with each  
explosion, and Elizabeth had to steady herself to keep from falling  
off his lap.

"Finished, Mate?" Jack asked, smirking a bit. The other members of  
the crew were gaping at Will, open-mouthed. He nodded, his head  
pounding.

"Bless you!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Thanks," Will replied, wishing he hadn't left his handkerchief down  
in the cabin. Suddenly, he saw a linen cloth right before his face.

"Here." Anamaria insisted.

"I couldn't possibly," Will mumbled, wanting to sink through a hole  
in the wood. He was really starting to feel sick and the last thing  
he wanted was to spend his honeymoon lying in bed all day and night.  
Or, if that was the case, he'd rather not be sneezing and coughing  
the entire time. He wanted Elizabeth to be happy, and he would do  
everything and anything to make that happen.

"I have more," she promised, shoving it into his hand. Will finally  
relented, blowing his nose hard. Several of the pirates cringed at  
the noise, backing away from the newcomer.

"Who's steering?" he croaked, glancing at Jack.

"Duncan's taken over," Jack replied. "I've been bloody steering for  
three days straight."

Will nodded, his eyes closing. "HETCHUUH! KetCHUUH!" He caught the  
sneezes in the hanky and coughed.

"Oh Will…you really don't sound well at all." Elizabeth touched his  
cheek, frowning as she felt the heat radiating from it.

"Get back down and get some sleep, Mate. You're no use to us  
sneezin' your bloody head off. We'll take care of your lass." Jack  
insisted, waving his hand in Will's direction.

Will sniffled, resting his forehead against Elizabeth's neck. At  
this point, he felt too miserable to care what the others  
thought. "My poor Love." She felt her heart constrict. "I'll help  
him to bed."

"Come back then," Jack told her with a nod. "We have to teach em  
all the song, remember?"

Elizabeth nodded, helping Will to his feet, and let him lean on her.  
She brought him back down through the trapdoor, allowing him to take  
his time walking down the steps.

"Ib so sorry," Will whispered, once he was lying in bed under the  
warm covers. Elizabeth kissed his forehead, caressing his forehead  
with her fingertips.

"Eh—HETCHUUH! ETCHHUH! HUTCHUSHHH! KetCHSHHH! Excuse eh…ah…ATCHUUUH!"

Elizabeth clucked her tongue. "God bless, My Darling. Here." She set  
a pile of handkerchiefs right beside him on the pillow, so he could  
have easier access to them, and took his hand.

"Go od," he encouraged, placing her hand against his lips.

"I should sit with you," she protested, shaking her head.

"Bud I wad you to hab a good tibe. This was your wish, wasid id?"

Elizabeth smiled. "My wish was to spend this trip with you," she  
replied lovingly, kissing his lips, ignoring his cold for the  
moment. She wanted to crawl into bed beside him, just to hold and  
keep him warm.

"Please, Elizabeth. Go up with Jack and the others. I'll be…  
eh..TSHHHUH!"

"Bless. Is that really what you want?" she asked, narrowing her  
eyes.

He nodded. "I want you to have a good time."

She sighed. "Oh all right, if you insist." She kissed him again,  
before making her way back up to the deck.

"Yo, ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me," she sung, joining the  
captain and crew, who were singing in loud, drunken voices.

"We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs…drink up  
me earties yo ho! There she is!" Jack called, motioning for her to  
come over. Elizabeth tried her best to look cheerful as she joined  
them again, and soon Jack grasped her around the waist, dipping her  
back.

"You owe me a dance," he slurred.

Elizabeth blinked. "What?"

Jack released her. "A weddin' dance, naturally. Savvy? Too bad I had  
to miss the blessed event."

The other pirates began laughing and clapping as Elizabeth stepped  
back a pace. "But there isn't any music," she pointed out.

"Mr. Cotton! Fetch the fiddle, Man!" Jack ordered, but Elizabeth  
shook her head.

"No, wait!" She straightened up, snatching the bottle of rum out of  
his hand. Jack stared at her, stunned. "I have to have a bit more to  
drink first before I do such a thing." Everyone grinned as Jack  
cocked his head to one side again, watching as she chugged down  
nearly half of the bottle, gasping and wiping her lips with the  
corner of her sleeve once she finished. She thrust the bottle at Mr.  
Gibbs who stood behind her, and then grabbed Jack's hand. "All  
right, Captain Sparrow," she announced. "I am ready."

Jack snapped his fingers, and Mr. Cotton began to play a lively tune  
on the fiddle. The rest of the crew joined in by either clapping or  
slapping the boxes to the beat, whistling as Jack and Elizabeth  
pranced around the deck. When they finished, Jack dipped her and  
then did the same dramatic bow he performed at the wedding.  
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You'll never change, Captain Sparrow,"  
she sniggered, glancing up at the overcast sky above her. A few  
seagulls cried as they swooped past, and she stumbled a bit as the  
ship went over a swell. "Whoops!" she giggled as she fell back  
against one of the crew members whom she didn't know by name, and  
covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh now you've gone and done it,"  
she told Jack, prodding his chest with her index finger.

"Eh?" Jack cocked an eyebrow. "Done what?"

Elizabeth snatched the whisky flask from Gibb's hand and took a  
swig. "Never mind." She sat down, feeling a little dizzy from the  
alcohol. Jack blinked, not quite getting it. He was drunk so often  
that it was more or less a way of life for him, so he was used to  
it.

"Don't drink much, do you?" Anamaria asked, rolling her eyes.

"We'll change that one, aye," Jack replied, offering Elizabeth  
another mug.

Down below in the spare cabin, Will lay on his side, facing the  
wall, feeling a tear roll down his cheek. Here he was, on his  
honeymoon, and he could not even be with his wife. Don't be a  
fool,' a voice spoke inside of him. You're the one who told her to  
go.'

I didn't think she'd actually leave,' he thought to himself,  
chewing on his lower lip, fighting the urge to break down in tears.  
He was not one to cry like this he knew, but with the effects of not  
only his being ill and the stress from the long day, it seemed to be  
the easiest thing to do at the moment. At last, he turned his face  
into his pillow, sobbing softly. 


End file.
